Maya's Story: Past, Passion, Purpose
by misspk
Summary: Maya has been betrayed before, but Axton, Zer0, and Salvador seem different. Are they? This is a story of four strangers becoming friends, finding love, and a new family. Maya's sheltered heart finally finds her muse... Lilith. A Siren who is more than she bargained for. Lots of shit goes down here...but Maya/Lilith is my main couple.
1. Chapter 1: Humble Beginnings

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K and whoever else also had their hands in the game. The characters are fictional, any events that occur which might coincide with real life is purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and proceeds to shoot you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. I have no actual insider information that proves I am correct in my assumptions, these are merely fan-inspired thoughts on paper. So if you would like to write a review, albeit bad or good please do. I value any input, good or bad because that can only help me get better. As a bonus for those that haven't finished the game I will add spoiler alerts regarding which chapter of the game I am using so you won't have to read something you don't already know.**

***Spoiler Alert* This chapter contains information about Echo Recordings for Maya in-game.**

_**Chapter 1**_

_**Humble Beginnings**_

She was finally here, Pandora. It's exactly what she would have expected for a war-torn planet although that doesn't mean she liked the sand. It got everywhere. It took her three months to get here from Athenus, damn long time. When she arrived there were already some men waiting at the train platform.

Maya chuckled inside a little, this is the most ragtag team of misfits she had seen in a long while. One is so tall and lanky that he made a stick look tough. Another is so short and muscular that Dwarves would be put to shame. And the last is most definitely a soldier, he can't hide that stubborn arrogance if he tried.

Who would have thought that after twenty-seven years of being sheltered in an order of egotistical men that she would finally be free to explore? The memories of her past still haunt her every night, how had she allowed herself to be so easily used? She hated herself for those years and promised that no one would ever get the chance to use her again.

For twenty-seven years these men kept her secluded from everyone, training her abilities and powers, but always seeming to hold out on her. It wasn't until 3 months ago that she finally realized why they had kept her so isolated.

It was a regular day, the sun blazing through her room as Maya was laying there bored. Suddenly there was a rapping on her door and Brother Harker entered stating that Brother Sophis needed her right away.

Maya took her time because she really didn't like Brother Sophis, or so she had to call him. She was just irritated that she had to go out again, probably to play the political puppet for him. He always had her doing that, going out, saying hi to everyone and then going back into her room. Maya was getting sick of it, she wanted some action in her life. Little did she know that was exactly what she was about to get. Brother Sophis finally called upon her for a task that was more than just waving her arm around, but the events that transpired were far from anyone's expectations. That day never faded from her memory.

"NO! Please NO!" A man was screaming at the top of his lungs, this caught her attention as she walked up next to Brother Sophis.

"What's going on? What is this?" Maya asked, taking in the scene in front of her in pure horror.

"Today is a great day, Maya. Today, your training is finally put to use." Brother Sophis spoke with authority, but it was lost on Maya.

"Who are these people?!" The anger in her voice shook some of the men in the group.

"Terrorists. Criminals. Evil men. You will destroy them, as is your duty. This is what you have trained for!"

"What? To execute unarmed men?"

"Do not question me, child! These men are a danger. Broker Harker, bring the first sinner forward."

Maya stared at Brother Harker, he lowered his eyes in shame and spoke softly, "Yes, Brother Sophis."

Brother Harker brings forth the first man, who looked ready to pass out from fear. Brother Sophis exclaims, "On your knees, sinner."

Maya recognized the man, he was the neighborhood librarian . She wondered to herself what a kind old man could have possibly done wrong. Stokes had always been kind to her when dropped over to read some books, mainly to read exploration tales. He had always been nice to her; although there was always apprehension in his eyes, Stokes was one of the few people who actually greeted Maya. Her heart tore a little as she looked into his anxious eyes.

With one glance at her Stokes screamed out, "Oh God, not her - NOT HER!"

Maya was at a loss for words, why was he so scared of her? She turned to Brother Sophis, "What is this man guilty of?"

Without waiting for a reply from Brother Sophis, Stokes crawls urgently to his leg, grabbing on intently begging, "I promise - I'll pay! I'll get you your tithe, just don't let her near me!"

"What?" The rage in Maya was now searing, was this why everyone was so nice to her? Why every time she turned around people quickly looked away or forced disturbing smiles?

"Do not listen, child! Execute him!" Brother Sophis spoke quickly, with a voice of conviction.

"Ah, to hell with it." She looked down at Stokes, his eyes now glazed with tears and face moist, brought up her hand and Phaselocked.

"What are you doing, child?! PUT ME DOWN!"

Maya was outraged, her entire existence has indeed been a lie. She screamed at him with all the bottled up rage over the years. "Twenty-seven years. For twenty-seven years you've been using me to keep these people frightened, haven't you?"

"You don't understand-"

"SHUT UP! You didn't want me to protect this planet! You wanted me to keep it scared, keep me locked up so these people would do what you asked. Nobody's gonna disobey the Order if they've gotta face the wrath of a Siren, is that it?!"

"You know nothing! Child, you have SO MUCH left to learn! You - "

This man has held onto her life for years, she placed her trust in him because he was really the only person who interacted with her. Everyone else seemed so scared and now she knew why. It was her fault for trusting someone so much, her fault for letting these people suffer, her fault for everything that has happened. She created this monster and she was the only that could end him.

*BANG*

"Don't. Call me. 'Child.' Everyone, get outta here. You have nothing fear from the order anymore - I'm leaving."

Brother Harker walked up to her slowly and asked, "But where will you go, child -" He caught himself too late but immediately corrected himself, "Uhm, Maya?"

Maya stood there for a moment, where would she go? The Order of Impending Storm was really all she ever knew about life and Athenus the only planet she ever set foot on. Where would she go? Then a soft smile formed on her face as she turned to Brother Harker.

"To Pandora. I'm gonna find some answers."

****Thanks for joining me on this newly carved adventure with Maya! Feel free to send some reviews my way, favorite, or follow****

**If you like the cover art PLEASE check out Sonellion in Deviant Art. I got the picture there because I absolutely suck at drawing xD If it's not obvious by now, this will be a Maya/Lilith story.**

**Here's a link- **


	2. Chapter 2: Hello? Your name is?

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K and whoever else also had their hands in the game. The characters are fictional, any events that occur which might coincide with real life is purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and proceeds to shoot you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. I have no actual insider information that proves I am correct in my assumptions, these are merely fan-inspired thoughts on paper. So if you would like to write a review, albeit bad or good please do. I value any input, good or bad because that can only help me get better. As a bonus for those that haven't finished the game I will add spoiler alerts regarding which chapter of the game I am using so you won't have to read something you don't already know.**

***Spoiler Alert* This chapter has none, all this is non-game related, just pure imagination.**

****If there is text that is italicized, this means that it is Maya's thoughts.****

_**Chapter 2**_

_**Hello? Your name is?**_

"Hello? Ma'am? Helloooooo?"

"Oh, what?" Maya was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't realize how long she was standing there.

The soldier man was staring her straight in the eye, his face a little too close for comfort. "Well you were staring into space for about five minutes so we were just curious if you were still alive, you know."

Maya grinned, although he would have normally been Phaselocked into oblivion for getting that close she definitely likes his guts.

"Well I'm very much alive. Just thinking of all the loot and baddies I'll be fighting."

"That sounds like the BEST THING TO HAPPEN EVER!" This sudden scream surprised her as she turned around to see a tiny Dwarf man psyching himself out.

"Please don't do that again, your yelling is needlessly loud and may give away your position before the attack has been carried out." The tall, lanky man spoke with a hint of annoyance in his voice. Maya suppressed a chuckle when she saw the Dwarf man immediately turn around to face the lanky man's abdomen.

"A real man fights FACE TO FACE!"

"Can you even see my face?"

"You think you're better than me? Come on, DUEL, right NOW!"

"You foolish imp. Alright, I'll entertain a quick fight."

At this the soldier finally intervenes, "Alright, stop it you two. I know this is a new concept to everyone but we're here together. As in, we are trying to help each other out."

Now the Dwarf man is just livid with anger, screaming at the top of his lungs, "DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"

Soldier, Dwarf, and Stickboy were now in a full out yelling spree, their weapons poised and ready to fire. Maya couldn't help but laugh at these men, all supposedly great warriors but bickering with each other like little boys.

All three men became startled and looked at her direction, then one by one they all broke out into laughter. Once one person composed himself, he would take a glance at someone still laughing and start laughing again. It took about ten minutes before everyone finally composed themselves.

"Well that was quite the introduction boys, the name is Maya."

"I'm not a boy, but my name is Axton."

"I am a man! I am Salvador."

"Zer0."

Maya smiled, men are quite simple on Pandora. She likes simple.

"So where are we headed today?" Maya inquired.

Axton steps up to the platform and replies, "The train that is supposed to be here in five minutes is taking us to Hyperion. The people that are hiring us to find a vault for 'em."

Maya stood there for a moment then decided to take a seat on one of the benches. "Well I guess there is no point in standing around, it comes when it comes."

Axton chuckled, "That's what she said."

Maya stared at him curiously, "What who said?"

At this statement Zer0, Salvador, and Axton turned to her in shock. In unison they queried, "What?"

"I asked, what who said? What did she say? Who is she? What is going on, is there something I should know about?" Maya is getting increasingly annoyed at this point.

"Do you seriously not know what I meant?" Axton asked in disbelief.

"She is LYING! No way she doesn't know what that means!" Salvador accused.

Zer0 took a moment to glance at Maya before he stated simply, " An innocent rose / In a land sullied by war / A sight to behold."

"Okay, you have got to stop doing that. Not everyone here is a learned poet man, speak your mind. In human terms please." Axton pleaded, clearly annoyed by his Zer0's speech.

"What I mean, is that her face does not display signs of trickery." Zer0 sighs as he looks at both Salvador and Axton's puzzled face. "As in, she is not lying. Maya probably doesn't know what your joke was insuating."

"Ohhh, could have just said that mystery man."

Salvador looked over at Maya and questioned, "You don't know sex jokes?"

Maya blushed slightly at this statement, she was not allowed to associate with many people and only by accident did she ever find out about the topic. She recalled her days in the abbey when she asked Brother Harker where babies came from and he stuttered trying to change the topic.

It wasn't until she turned 16 that one of her sisters in the abbey found a Mad Moxxi magazine. That was her first impression of what 'sex' was, Maya found it very strange. The two girls continued to look through the magazine, not realizing that someone had opened the door. Suddenly the magazine was snatched from their hands as they looked up to see an infuriated Brother Sophis.

"Just WHAT do you two THINK you are doing?!" From that day forward Maya was not allowed to be near anyone, the sister that was caught with her got kicked out of the abbey. Over the years Maya no longer cared for the topic, she learned where babies came from, but didn't like the thought of the process it required. Maya lived the rest of her days at the abbey protected from the world, as Brother Harker used to say.

Maya abruptly snapped back to reality and looked at the man questioning her, "No."

Axton gasped in awe, "Seriously? How old are you?"

Maya shot him a nasty look, "None of your damn business."

"Alright, jeez, I was just asking."

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

An automated voice played from the speakers, "Hyperion welcomes all vault hunters to our station. The train is approaching and we advise standing far from the tracks, unless you are looking forward to a swift death."

All four vault hunters made their way towards the train platform. A woosh of air breezed by as the train came to dock. Maya looked around a moment, I have a bad feeling about this...

*****Thanks for the continued support. Please review if you have any thoughts you'd like to share with me, favorite, and follow*****


	3. Chapter 3: Welcome to Pandora

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K and whoever else also had their hands in the game. The characters are fictional, any events that occur which might coincide with real life is purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and proceeds to shoot you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. I have no actual insider information that proves I am correct in my assumptions, these are merely fan-inspired thoughts on paper. So if you would like to write a review, albeit bad or good please do. I value any input, because that can only help me get better. As a bonus for those that haven't finished the game I will add spoiler alerts regarding which chapter of the game I am using so you won't have to read something you don't already know.**

***Spoiler Alert* Small spoof of at the end, also I give a Maya's point of view of what happened in the introduction.**

****Italicized text are Maya's thoughts****

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Welcome to Pandora**_

One by one the vault hunters entered the train, Maya took a quick glance around and said, "For a multi-billion dollar company, they can't even build chairs in a train?"

Axton quipped back, "That's your problem? I'm creeped out by that damn poster of the Jack guy."

"Handsome but ugly / Irony at its finest / This is disturbing", Zer0 spoke softly.

Salvador looked over at him annoyed, "Will you PLEASE! Speak in HUMAN TALK! And none of this japanese BULL CRAP!"

Zer0 turned to face Salvador, Maya guessed that there is probably a glaring face under that dark mask. "It is haiku my ignorant friend. His name is Handsome Jack, but obviously anyone can tell that he is an ugly troll underneath."

Axton chuckled out loud, "You know this is probably the first time that I genuinely like something that you said."

"What about me?!" Salvador snapped. "I say important things too!"

Zer0 retorts, "You use the word 'things' on such a regular basis that I wonder if your vocabulary has fully developed past an elementary phase."

"Damn you skinny boy, you think you're so much better than everyone else?!"

"Well, yes, but right now mainly you."

"AGHHHHHH! Let's go!" Salvador suddenly pulled out two machine guns, no doubt each weighing at least thirty pounds. Maya stared at the man, impressed by his immense strength.

Axton stands right in between the two and with an annoyed tone says, "Will you two please, give it a minute? It's been a long ass day, we're all tired as shit, can I please get some fucking silence for two seconds to gather my energy to kill shit that matters?"

"Seconded", Maya chimed in.

Salvador and Zer0 look up at Axton then Maya, without a word they face away from each other. For the next thirty minutes everyone just enjoyed the silence and the rumbling of the train on its electric railing. Maya took this time to collect her thoughts, these men are so transparent. One moment they are at each other's necks, then the next moment both retreat as if they were just scolded by their parents.

These guys are interesting. I hope they stick around for a - Suddenly Maya's thoughts were interrupted as she looked back up at the "Welcome" sign, that dropped to reveal a hidden message.

"TO YOUR DOOM (Nothing Personal)" Two Hyperion bots unfolded and aimed their sights at the vault hunters.

Great I knew I had a bad feeling about this. Oh well, time for some fun.

Maya quickly dashed to the back of the train car trying to get a better view of the situation, she turned around just in time to see Axton slide down and toss up a box. What's he doing? Giving them a present? Moments later a turret had attached itself to the roof of the car.

Holy crap that's cool! Maya stood there gazing at the magnificent gun that is making short work of the Hyperion bots. Then she notices Axton pulling out a huge ass rocket launcher, aimed directly at her. Axton pulled the trigger sending a rocket whizzing past Maya into a Hyperion bot that was right behind her.

Okay, now he's just showing off. Not bad though. Can't let him show me up now can I? Another bot stepped closer to her and she instantaneously pulled it into a Phaselock with a cheeky smile on her lips. That's why you don't fuck with a Siren bitch. In one swift motion Maya sent the bot flying out the side of the train car.

"Agghhh, you crazy bitch! That was AWESOME!" Salvador screamed out, apparently she just barely missed him. Salvador now whips out two light machine guns and in what looks like a gun-filled rage massacres the rest of the bots in the car. "RAAAAAAWRRRRR! SUCK ON THIS YOU MOTHERFUCKIN ROBOTS!" Maya smiles again, he's pretty strong and his vocabulary is worlds above hilarious.

Suddenly it hit Maya, she hadn't seen Zer0 anywhere in the car. She made her way to the hole that she carved out just in time to see the assassin do his thing. Zer0 was just standing there as two Hyperion engineers made their way to him, one took a punch at him but Zer0 was gone. Out of nowhere Zer0 reappeared, stabbed one engineer in the back, somersaults over his friend and kicks the second onto the sword. Impressive.

Finally they all regroup at the master train car, Axton called them in to get ready to breach. Maya looked anxiously at everyone, this was too easy, she saw Salvador dual wielding again and Zer0 had his sword brandished.

"Alright, let's kill this son of a bitch!" Axton yelled as he kicked down the door. They all enter a dark red room, filled with dynamite and a man in the middle.

"It's cute that y'all think you're the heroes of this little adventure, but you're not. Welcome to Pandora, kiddos."

Oh shit.

*EXPLOSIOOOOOOOOOOOOOON* Sound effect courtesy of Mister Torgue

This is not going to be a good day for anyone.

*****Everyone's support is so amazing, I'm glad to have found such a nice community! Just continue on with those reviews, favorites, and follows*****


	4. Chapter 4: Umm, My Powers?

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K and whoever else also had their hands in the game. The characters are fictional, any events that occur which might coincide with real life is purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and proceeds to shoot you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. I have no actual insider information that proves I am correct in my assumptions, these are merely fan-inspired thoughts on paper. So if you would like to write a review, albeit bad or good please do. I value any input, good or bad because that can only help me get better. As a bonus for those that haven't finished the game I will add spoiler alerts regarding which chapter of the game I am using so you won't have to read something you don't already know.**

***Spoiler Alert* Trying to explain why everyone lost their powers when they were fighting just fine like three minutes before =)**

****Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts****

_**Chapter 4**_

_**Umm...My Powers?**_

When they were all flying through the air Maya did the one and only thing she hoped will be able to save everyone. With all the power she can muster Maya does a mass Phaselock, trapping everyone together and all sorts of metals converging on them. She felt the initial impact but eventually she just closed her eyes and hoped for the best.

_Damn, my arm feels like hell. What happened? _Maya laid there for a moment before she finally remembered the events that had transpired. She came to Pandora under an invitation to find some lost vault, met up with a band of misfits, got ambushed in the train that was taking them to the man that hired them to find the vault, and then blown to all hell with enough dynamite to blow a new crater into the planet. _This day sucks._

- Fifteen Minutes Later -

Maya slowly looked around to see everyone else slowly getting up as well. _I'm going to kill that asshole. _Out of nowhere a high-pitched voice rang in her ear.

"Wait a minute - you're not dead! YES! Now I can get off this glacier!-" Maya's head is ringing so bad that she immediately blocked out everything this robot was saying. She looked around to her newly acquainted friends, they all look like shit. As she tried to get up Maya feels a scorching pain through her arm, when she turned over to look she deeply regretted it. A big ass piece of metal was lodged in her arm.

_Oh my GOD! This hurts like a bitch! Come on suck it up, stand up, get to everyone else. Oh my God I'm going to KILL Jack! _Maya musters the little energy she had left to try and get up. Suddenly she felt an arm reach around her waist pulling her up.

"Woah, woah there now little lady. You're pretty busted up", Axton noted humorously.

"Really? And here I was feeling like a million dollars", Maya retorted.

"You're right, that is how much it will cost to fix you up. Is your arm okay?"

"No, it's pretty fucked up. Is there a healing hypo anywhere near?"

"Nah, but that robot seems to have a hideout over there."

Zer0 walked up slowly to them, "Yes, ugh, he was going off about Handsome Jack doing this to many others before us as well as being able to get us to a sanctuary of sorts."

"He talks TOO MUCH! Let's just get OUT OF HERE ALREADY!" Salvador wailed angrily.

Maya was taken back by this sudden bout of noise and pleaded, "Salvador, I'm begging you, scream any other time, any other day, but not now. My head hurts like crazy and my arm might just need amputation. And-" She stopped abruptly when she noticed how battered up Salvador was, "You are blood red! How are you alive?!"

Salvador takes a quick look at himself, "Eh, just a flesh wound. I heal quick."

Axton shushed Maya, "Hey, don't talk. We need to get you patched up, hell we all need to get patched up."

All four vault hunters walked swiftly to Claptrap's home, still ignoring the peppy robot as they started healing up. Axton had set Maya down, pulled out the rod, and patched up her arm. She just laid there and rested while everyone else re-evaluated themselves.

Zer0's cloaking technology was busted and he couldn't seem to get it working. This was quite annoying to him because it took him years to perfect it and in one instance his life's work was gone. Of course he couldn't really remember his past anyways, all he really remembered was waking up in the middle of nowhere itching for a fight. Past or future didn't matter now, Zer0 needed to get his cloak tech repaired. He continued to tinker with no avail.

Salvador was sitting next to the makeshift fireplace pulling out the small pieces of metal still lodged in his body. Taking steroids for years caused his body to become a walking steroid. Although it stunted his growth immensely he really didn't ever care. Salvador hated being the weak little boy that everyone picked on, but now here he was just plucking out metal from his body as if they were nothing. If only those bullies could see him now. He also heals like a damn Greek god, who could complain about that?

Axton stayed next to Maya the whole time, just staring at his baby, his turret. He really loved that thing, no matter what he ever did in life it was the only thing that never questioned him. His battalion ratted him out and his wife left him, but his turret always stayed faithful. Axton just sat there broken-hearted as he looked at the one thing that ever made him happy.

_Agh, my arm. Where am I? What's going on? _Maya blinked slowly as she regained consciousness. Eventually she opened her eyes fully and looked around her. Everything rushed back at her, the train, Jack, the guys, and most importantly, her arm. Maya looks down at her arm and tries to give it a whirl.

"AGGGHHHHH!" Maya screamd out in agony.

Axton's face snapped up in pure terror, "Woah, are you okay? Maya?!"

"My ARM! Agh, I can't Phaselock, what's going on?!"

Maya was in total disarray until she felt a hand pushing on her forehead, forcing her to lay back.

"Please calm down friend, you have injured yourself saving us."

Axton and Salvador looked up at Zer0. What did he just say?

Zer0 noticed the confused looks on their faces and explained, "She used her ability, Phaselock as I believe she called it, to group us together and used the shrapnel as protection. I can only speculate that the rod had hit a vital organ that essentially paralyzed her ability, not to mention she probably drained herself trying such a foolish act. Noble, but very foolish."

Salvador quipped, "I guess we're all leaving this with something missing, ironic isn't it? That our abilities were fine a second ago and now it's all gone...seriously."

This comment took everyone by surprise because of how insightful and witty it was, coming from the most meathead vault hunter too.

Maya was just searing with anger, her Phaselock, the one thing that was truly hers was gone? _Hell, no. I'm getting it back and killing Jack if it's the last thing I ever do!_

"Well let's stop moping around and get moving. We have a madman to kill", Maya said while forcing a smile on her face.

Right then a hideous creature jumped down into the robot's house, grabbed the robot, and ripped out its eye.

_Oh what fresh hell is this?_

*****Thanks for continued support! Follow this story if you want to stay updated, send me a review for tips, and continue to enjoy!*****


	5. Chapter 5: Minion!

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K and whoever else also had their hands in the game. The characters are fictional, any events that occur which might coincide with real life is purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and proceeds to shoot you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. I have no actual insider information that proves I am correct in my assumptions, these are merely fan-inspired thoughts on paper. I will include spoiler alerts if I am going to write about a side mission or DLC. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go to my own work. Mission names will be available for those interested in NPC talk. **

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

**-Blindside-**

**_Chapter 5_**

**_Minion!_**

Everyone in the room was stunned for a moment as they watched the large creature gracefully bound out. Maya now realized that she would never catch a break on this planet, at that thought a smile formed on her face. _Well, if the rest of my time here is exciting as right now, I'll never be short of entertainment._

Zer0 was the first to break the silence, "It seems that this Bullymong creature has stolen the eye from our little friend here."

Axton whispered into Maya's ear, "What's its name?"

"How should I know?" Maya replied, turning to Salvador, "Do you know his name?"

"Why should I CARE?! As a man I've been trained NEVER TO LISTEN!" Salvador was never a man for discretion.

Zer0 chuckled softly so no one would hear and answered the question, "He is a CL4P-TP steward bot, but he prefers to be called Claptrap."

"That's fitting because his house is a deathtrap", Axton retorted.

Maya giggled at that comment, but quickly composed herself.

"The gun. The gun in the cabinet", they all turned to see that Claptrap was stumbling around.

Zer0 quickly went over to help the poor robot from bumping into everything. _Hm, it's amazing how he's not annoyed at the damn thing yet._ Maya then made her way toward the cabinet and opened it, only to have an array of junk fly out at her. Axton and Salvador were now on the floor laughing hysterically.

"AHAHAHAHA! Can't breathe, Laughing TOO hard!" Axton exclaimed as he clutched his stomach.

Salvador was on his stomach pounding the ground, "Now you really DO look like CRAP!"

"Oh shut it you two! Gimme that robot!" Maya yelled with indignation in her voice as she stepped towards Claptrap.

Zer0 quickly worked to defuse the situation and pointed back at the cabinet, "There are indeed weapons in the cabinet, albeit hidden by debris, but guns nonetheless."

Maya turned back around to see that Zer0 was telling the truth. _I'll let this robot off the hook THIS time. That annoying little yapping piece of- _her thoughts were cut short when a lady showed up in her Echo device's mind projection.

"Once upon a time, four Vault Hunters changed Pandora forever. But their time has passed - thanks to Handsome Jack, Pandora needs a new hero. I know that hero is you." After this short and puzzling message, she disappeared.

"Wait a minute, who is this lady?" Axton questioned.

Maya turned to Axton and asked, "Wait you heard it too?"

"No shit Sherlock."

"Did everyone see it then?" Maya queried the group.

Everyone nodded their heads.

Zer0 replied, "I have no idea who she is, but her ability to access all of our Echo projections must mean that she is an artificial intelligence of some sort."

"What do you mean by ECHO PROJECTIONS?!" Salvador asked.

In an exasperated tone Zer0 answered, "The Echo communicators we have commandeered usually transmit through the Digital Map display. This is for ease of access and so as to not block the users' conscious thinking. However, this woman has been able to override the regular lines and is speaking directly to us, with no middle man. This ability can only come from someone with access to the communications system itself, someone such as an AI."

Maya looked at Zer0 in awe; _he sure knows a lot about...well everything. Cool. _

"...to help me reach Sanctuary! I will be your wise leader, and you shall be my fearsome minion!" Claptrap must have been rambling on for God knows how long before Maya finally paid him any heed.

_Minion? I don't know whether I should throw him across the room or laugh._

Axton quickly corrected the robot, "Hey! Offense intended, but even busted up my girlfriend here is still better than you. Yah useless hunk of junk."

Claptrap seemed to not hear him because it kept rambling.

"HEY! LISTEN TO US, WHEN WE ARE TALKING TO YOU!" Salvador roared at Claptrap trying to get his attention.

Zer0 could see from the looks of his companions that they were not happy with this new title. He thought something up fast and hoped it would suffice. "Although there is no doubt that we are all leagues above his strength, or even intelligence. Does no one find this hilarious?"

Maya looked up in disbelief at the serious Zer0 trying to create humor. At the thought of that she laughed, _damn robo man is trying to crack a joke? He sucks!_

Laughter seems to always be contagious around them because shortly they all busted out again, ignoring any words from their newly appointed 'wise leader.'

When Maya finally calmed down she said, "Well to be honest, the concept I found hilarious was you trying to crack a joke robo man. It was so bad!"

Zer0 was taken aback by this comment and was forming a rebuttal when Axton called out to them, "Yo, not to interrupt your battle of the wits but our 'wise leader' has moved forward."

"Why should WE follow HIM?!" Salvador challenged.

"He said there will be Bullymongs to fight."

"I'M IN!"

Maya couldn't help but smile again, _men are so simple._

The moment they stepped out Claptrap runs straight into an icicle, it boggles the mind how idiotic a robot built to serve humanity can possibly be. Maya continued her process of ignoring Claptrap as they walked along. Everyone spread out because there were containers everywhere containing money or ammo. Somehow their Echo devices made sure that everyone got an equal cut of the supplies, although curious Maya was not about to ask Zer0. _Maybe later when I'm bored._

After a few minutes of walking around the glacier they came upon a clearing. Maya could hear a switch in Claptrap's tone just when he said, "Which means whoever has my eye...is very close"

Just then Knuckle Dragger came from behind the debris and lifted up a car, ready to toss at the group.

_This is gonna hurt._

****Thank you for the support! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please continue to write reviews (add suggestions if you'd like to), follow the story, and favorite****


	6. Chapter 6: That's Different

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K and whoever else also had their hands in the game. The characters are fictional, any events that occur which might coincide with real life is purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and proceeds to shoot you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. I have no actual insider information that proves I am correct in my assumptions, these are merely fan-inspired thoughts on paper. I will include spoiler alerts if I am going to write about a side mission or DLC. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go to my own work. Mission names will be available for those interested in NPC talk. **

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

**-Blindside-**

_**Chapter 6**_

_**That's…Different**_

_Woah, okay that thing is definitely bigger than I remembered._ Maya quickly bounded over an icicle and took cover while everyone instinctively got into a combat position. Zer0 immediately went into overwatch, although the crappy pistol he had wasn't great it had to make do. Axton got behind another icicle and was assessing the situation when out of nowhere a hoard of Bullymongs appeared.

Being the reckless man that he always was Salvador charged straight into the fray, punching and shooting at anything he could see. _Man that guy is crazy, but I gotta give him points for-is he flipping them off?! _Maya had to suppress her laughter as she looked on with amusement at her crazy Dwarf friend.

"Look out! Badass!" Zer0 exclaimed.

Axton barked back, "Yeah we can see that genius! Now while Leroy Jenkins there is distracting them, can we start doing some damage please?"

"If damage is what you wish then stop looking at me and start shooting."

Everything was happening so fast that Maya's head was turning. They all just did their best to wail on the enemies until eventually all the little Monglets were gone. Now all their attention was focused on the weakened Knuckle Dragger. All four looked at each other for one moment and they were off.

Salvador charged at the beast, shooting at its legs then jumping on it to keep it from getting away. Zer0 trained all his shots into the beast's head, gaining critical after critical. Axton and Maya focused fire on Knuckle Dragger as they try to aim anywhere but at Salvador.

The boss was now bleeding profusely and near death, in one sure motion Salvador grabbed its head and pulled. There was a loud crack and the beast fell down.

Maya smiled at Salvador, "Good job."

For the first time ever he seemed speechless and merely nodded at her display of gratitude.

Axton walked over and pulled Claptrap's eye from Knuckle Dragger's unmoving neck.

"Got my eye? Great! Now we just gotta find someone to put it back into me...", Claptrap was rambling on again and Maya really didn't want to hear it.

"That's what she SAID!" Axton and Salvador said in unison.

Maya face-palmed, men. She is definitely going to figure out what that joke means some day.

"Yo, are you coming or are you just gonna stand there all day?" Axton shouted down to her.

Maya looked up to see that all the guys, along with Claptrap were already next to the barge. She quickly walked up the path to rejoin the guys. When she got to the top she saw an angry Salvador slamming at the door.

"What happened?" Maya inquired.

Zer0 replied, "Our little friend here managed to not only, fail to open the door, but also locked it even more."

"Well isn't that lovely."

Axton bitterly walked towards Claptrap, "Listen you little piece of crap, fix this damn thing or I will blow your face into the next DAMN-"

"Lemme get that for ya", the voice from earlier rang in their ears.

"Will people PLEASE. STOP. INTERRUPTING!"

"Executing phase shift."

Finally the doors opened. Maya carefully walked to Axton and softly grabbed his shoulder, "Hey, calm down. We're in."

"You're welcome! Perks of being an Artificial Intelligence. I'm networked into almost everything on this planet."

_Wow, score one for Zero. Got it right on the first try._

"Well that will come in handy, what was your name again?" Zero questioned.

"My name is Angel. It's a long way to Sanctuary - please take whatever you need for the journey ahead."

_She gets straight to the point too, I like that. _Maya cautiously entered the room but stopped dead in her tracks.

The middle of the room began to shake as the floor retreated; it revealed a gun case underneath. When the case opened Salvador yelled out with joy, "SHOTGUNS!" He passed one gun to each person, their gun holsters were busted up bad after the crash so they could only equip two weapons at a time. Maya relished in the heft of the shotgun she was holding. _Now all I need are targets._

They all spread out and looked around the room thoroughly for any loot they could help themselves to. Maya took this chance to find Axton and talk to him about his breakdown earlier. She didn't know what, but something about this man got to her. Maybe it was his wit, his skills, or his hair, she really didn't know. Something about Axton made her want to care for him, a sadness behind his eyes that she understood.

Maya scoured the room for Axton, but he was nowhere to be seen, "Hey did anyone see soldier boy?"

"Oh yeah, he went outside. Said he needed a smoke. Damn asshole wouldn't share with ME!" Salvador was clearly upset about missing out on a cigarette, but the loot in the room kept him satisfied.

Maya stepped outside and saw Axton sitting on the edge of the barge, she climbed up and took a seat next to him.

"Hey there soldier boy. You know smoking is bad for you right?"

"Yeah? Well it hasn't killed me yet", Axton retorted.

Maya tried to lighten the mood and begins to speak in a haughty news reporter tone, "Well you do realize that smoking takes years to show its effects right? First you'll notice you can't run as fast or as far, then you start coughing all the time, and you may even get a raspy voice. If that isn't bad enough when you're old and grey you might have to breathe out of a tube and you really don't want that now do-"

"What if I do?! HUH?! Ever think of that? Ever think that maybe I really don't give a rat's ass if I die or not? Ever think that MAYBE, just MAYBE going out for a smoke means you just want to be alone? Or that you just don't know what to do with your life and you just hope to die peacefully so that you can forget how useless you are? Do you ever think of anything but yourself?"

Maya stared at him in disbelief. Every second that passed by brought about even more pressure, but what pressure? _Why did I even come up here? Why am I trying to console him? What's going on? What is this? Why are you looking at me so dejected? Why am I so sad when I look at your face?_ Maya's own head was filled with so many questions, but the only one she could muster out was, "Do you?"

At this comment Axton looked down into the crevasse, "I want to."

"Axton, look at me", Maya pleaded. She has only known this man for a few hours and yet his pain made her feel so hurt. With her uninjured hand she touched his chin and pulled him up so that their eyes meet. The sadness in his eyes were overwhelming, this was the witty asshole that she annoyed her so. Yet here she was, wanting nothing but to make him smile again.

"Axton. Please. Tell me what's wrong", Maya begged as tears welled up in her eyes, "You nearly kill Claptrap for a simple mistake and sulk up here, what happened to the asshole soldier?"

Axton cracked a slight smile, as if he wanted to smile but was holding himself back. Axton stared right through Maya into the distance, and then just let himself drown in his thoughts.

****The support from everyone is so amazing! I'm definitely working on fixing my grammar so that I stick to only past tense, but I might slip from time to time so please forgive me if I do. As always, keep pumping those reviews (I am always open to suggestions), favorite, and follow =)****


	7. Chapter 7: Little Brother Blues

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K and whoever else also had their hands in the game. The characters are fictional, any events that occur which might coincide with real life is purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go to my own work. Mission names will be available for those interested in NPC talk. **

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 7**_

_**Little Brother Blues**_

"I want to stop thinking about myself, I want to stop feeling sorry for myself, I..", Axton spoke so softly that Maya had to strain her ears to hear him, "I want a purpose."

Maya didn't know what to say. What can she say to that? She sat there helplessly, hoping that Axton will continue on his own because she was at a loss for words.

"You know Maya, I was married back then", Axton told her while turning his head away from her and looking at the sun.

"She was the love of my life. The first time I saw her was when I was assigned to my battalion, she was our Platoon Leader at the time. Every man there was completely enamored by her the moment they saw her and I was no different. I didn't think that someone could be so beautiful and small could lead all these testosterone filled men...

"We fell in love during a mission that went horribly wrong. My wife was near death as I carried her from behind enemy lines back to the platoon. My heart broke ten times over seeing her at death's door and vowed that I would never let anything bad happen to her again. I promised to myself that I will never allow myself to feel useless again. Some promise I made eh?"

Everything started to make sense now, Maya understood why she felt sadness for this man. That feeling of uselessness, of powerlessness, the feeling she hated most but felt almost all the time. He was the same.

Axton continued, "I felt useless today. You saved us with your Phaselock, Zer0 always seems to know where to shoot, and Salvador has such inhuman strength that nothing hurts him. Without my turret I'm nothing, I'm just a foot soldier. I'm worthless."

"Shut up."

Maya's comment caught Axton by surprise and he looked at her again.

"Don't you dare say you are worthless", Maya kept trying to suppress her tears but she could feel her body giving in to the sorrow she felt inside. She looked up at him and saw the young boy that she failed to protect, the young boy that was the reason why she went began to resent the Order of Impending Storm. Maya finally put all the puzzle pieces together to see that Axton reminded her of Kyle.

When Maya was with the order she was rarely allowed outside her room and her interactions were limited to Brother Sophis, Brother Harker, and little brother Kyle. Brother Sophis taught her about her abilities, Brother Harker taught her regular subjects such as math and writing, but little brother Kyle was the most intimate, he taught her how to love.

Kyle was the only other person allowed permission to see Maya and he was also the only person who was never afraid of her. In the beginning Maya kept the boy at arm's length, however Kyle's boyish charms eventually got to Maya and the two started a light rapport. Maya was eighteen and Kyle was ten, an age difference that seemed to not matter to either party.

The two formed a quick friendship in the months to come and Maya came to really care for the boy. One day he got sick and she protested to Brother Sophis to allow her to see Kyle. After a full day of nagging Brother Sophis gave in and let her go to the young boy. She rushed to his room and opened the door, right then Maya's heart tore open when she saw the once lively boy, bed-ridden and skinny. She left in a hurry to go to the kitchen and make him some soup.

It wasn't until she got to the kitchen that she realized she didn't know how to make soup. _Oh crap, do they have any? Ugh, it's just water with food in it right? No, you have to ask someone, last time you tried to cook you nearly burned down the forest at that damn camping trip._

"Hi, uhm, ma'am? Can you teach me how to make soup?" Maya inquired to the chef, who was focused on seasoning her dishes.

"Sorry kid, I'm busy", the chef replied apologetically.

Maya pushed one more time, "Please, anything will do. Kyle is sick and he's really skinny."

This time the chef turned around, then with one look at Maya she dropped her spices and fell to the floor, "Oh, why Maya! Yes of course I can help you!"

Maya was so happy, _wow she must really care about Kyle, I should have just started with that, _"Thank you, thank you so much!"

The two women busied themselves to making a healthy vegetable soup with some minced meat, Maya had never cooked before and found it to be a lot of fun. She turned to the chef and thanked her again before leaving to go back to Kyle. The chef opened the door for her and smiled anxiously as Maya left. _Cool, hope he likes it!...I really hope he starts feeling better._

Maya walked swiftly to Kyle's room and once she got to the door gave it a soft knock. She heard no reply and assumed that Kyle was still asleep so she went in anyways, to her surprise Kyle was up reading a book.

"Hey there kiddo! I made some soup for you! I know it probably won't taste too great, but the chef helped me with it, hope you like it", Maya said enthusiastically.

Kyle looked up from his book and she saw that he was crying. _What? Why is he crying? Is it a sad book? Does he not like soup? Did I do something wrong? Oh God please don't cry, don't look at me with those sad eyes._

Maya put the soup down on his bedside table and sat down next to the boy. She lifted his chin with her hand so their eyes met, "Hey, what's wrong?"

At this question Kyle bursted into tears, "I'm sorry Maya. I'm so useless! My only job was to care for you and I couldn't even do that right!"

Maya immediately brought him into her chest and hugged him tight, "Silly boy, what made you think I couldn't take care of myself? It's you who is sick right now, so let me spoil you for once!"

Kyle just kept crying and talking, barely coherently, "Ever since my mommy died I've lived in this abbey and everyone here is so mean! They boss me around and everything. Then Brother Sophis said I had to take care of you, I was scared that you would hurt me too. But you didn't! You were so nice and you still are. I'm so useless that I barely do anything for you, but now you're taking care of me."

This was all new to Maya, most people that saw her barely came within three feet of her but here is a young boy holding onto her so tight that she could feel his heartbeat. She pulled him away slowly, just enough so that she could see his face and said, "Are you kidding me? You are the one that has been amazing. You always take care of me and make me laugh."

Kyle looked up at Maya and a smile formed on his face, "Maya, I love you."

Maya smiled brightly right back at him, "I love you too Kyle, I promise you will get better and we'll go out to play okay?"

Kyle nodded, "YES!"

"Okay, now please eat your soup. I'll stay with you tonight."

After that night Brother Sophis forbid Maya from ever seeing Kyle again, she protested profusely and attempted many times to sneak back to Kyle. However, after her tenth failed attempt to find him Brother Harker told her that Kyle had been sent away to his real parents. It wasn't until six years later that she found out the truth. An echo recorder was left on her desk when she came back from training.

Maya played the echo recorder and cried. There was that voice of the nervous little boy she once knew, only a little deeper now because of the years gone by.

"Dear Maya,

I'm sorry that you got tired of me back then. Brother Sophis told me the truth that you felt bad I was so weak and took care of me because I was weak. I promise you that I will only come back to see you once I got strong enough to protect you! I grew a whole lot during the past few years! I'm joining the Crimson Lance. They are fighting for a good cause and I want to too. I'm sixteen this year, and I'm pretty tall too. Sorry that I'm writing everywhere, I just learned how to read and write.

Maya, I still love you. No matter what you are always going to be the sister that I was lucky to have. I will become useful again and come back to save you from the mean people at the abbey!

Love, Kyle"

This filled her with both joy and anger because her little brother was tricked by the bastard men that swore to protect her. As she turned to her bed another echo recording fell out.

"Dear [Maya],

I am Lieutenant Reiss from the Crimson Lance. We regret to inform you that Private [Kyle] has died in combat. We are sorry for your loss but grateful that [Kyle] sacrificed his life for a good cause. This letter was on the deceased and the deceased has also requested that you receive his dogtags. We thank you for your brother's sacrifice and hope that the little we were able to give back may be enough so you may continue fighting the good fight.

[ , this is Lieutenant Reiss. Usually I don't do personal recordings but I thought this case was special. Kyle was an extraordinary young man, even though he was surrounded by so much death he always stayed happy and strong. I liked this very much in him so I took him on a scouting party with me. Unfortunately there was a problem and we were ambushed. They took half my squad and Kyle was one of them. We would have sent his body to you, but we wanted to spare you the horror. Needless to say those men were found and dealt what they deserved. I'm sorry for my incompetence, but I hope that you will be able to move on after this. Kyle was a great man and he still is.]

Respectfully,

Lieutenant Reiss"

_No...no...no...nononono..NOOOO! _

"AGHHHHHH!" Maya's cry of agony woke nearly half the abbey as she went on a blood lust through the halls. She destroyed everything she could see and smashed everything to bits.

Brother Sophis was the first person that dared to speak to her, "Child, please! It is late, what happened?"

Maya was still enraged by the recording, and more importantly, by him. "YOU LYING BASTARD!" Maya screamed and punched Brother Sophis, "YOU GOT RID OF HIM! WHY?! WHAT DID HE EVER DO TO YOU?! HE WAS JUST A LITTLE BOY YOU LYING PIECE OF SHIT!"

"What...ugh...what are you talking about?"

"KYLE! Why did you tell him I didn't need him anymore? Why?!"

"My child, he was no longer of use to us. You were getting too attached and we were worried that he might use you."

"WHAT?! He's TEN what could he have possibly done?!"

"Please child, understand that it hurt me to send him away too. But we can't have useless people in our abbey."

"Don't. You. DARE. Call him USELESS!"

Maya lunged at Brother Sophis only to feel a large stick whack her on the head. She was impounded for the next few weeks, 'time to cool down' they said. Eventually Maya calmed down and was allowed out again. Her anger had subsided, but her memories, those of Kyle's young innocence and loving nature, that echo recording, everything was burned into her memory.

Now as she sat here staring into Axton's eyes she couldn't help but remember Kyle, the little brother she had already lost once before. She reached around to the back of Axton's head and pulled him in closer until their foreheads touched, "Please, don't ever think you are worthless. I've lost one friend already, I don't want to lose another."

****So I kind of went crazy with this one because this was in my head for the longest time. Is this chapter too long? Or do y'alls think it is fine as it is? Again, thanks for the support, please review, favorite, and follow!***


	8. Chapter 8: He Started It!

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K and whoever else also had their hands in the game. The characters are fictional, any events that occur which might coincide with real life is purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go to my own work. **

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 8**_

_**He Started It!**_

Maya was trembling, she could feel her grip tightening instinctively and hoped that he would be the first to break it off because she couldn't. Almost as if he could read her mind Axton reached up to grab her hand and took it in his own.

"Hey, you couldn't get rid of me if you wanted to Maya", Axton said with a smile.

"Um, am I interrupting something?"

Axton and Maya jumped up quickly and looked down to see Zer0 standing there nervously.

"I'm sorry if I ruined a moment, but Claptrap is antsy to go. Plus if we don't leave soon his incessant talking will drive Salvador mad."

"Oh, yeah, no we were just talking about our family and stuff. It was nothing, no moment. Nope. None. Not even a little bit." Maya tried to make her voice sound casual but failed miserably.

Axton chuckled under his breath a little, "Yeah bro, no worries. Missy A-Cup here is so not my type. The lowest I'd go is a C."

At this comment Maya turned around, "Woah there who are you calling Miss A-Cup, Captain Tinker?"

"What did you just call me?"

"Oh I'm sure you heard me! You are so close with your turret, why don't you just marry it?"

"Psh, way ahead of you", Axton winked at Zer0.

Zer0 face-palmed his helmet, "Please don't ever do that again. Now can we please move on? You two can have your sibling squabble while we are on our way there...On second thought, please don't."

Maya gave a dejected look and was climbing off the barge when Axton kicked her butt. Maya landed face first into the freezing snow. _Why you little!_

Axton was laughing hysterically which was served with a snowball to the face. Maya stuck her tongue out at him and walked off with a wide grin. _Brother? Axton? I think I might like that._

- Three hours later -

_Good God we've been walking for THREE HOURS and this DAMN robot, WON'T shut up! I don't care about Captain Flynt or that he used you as a damn plaything! I just want a nice place to rest my head and get my beauty sleep._

"Are we there yet?" Maya asked in agony.

Zer0 replied, "Just like I told you five minutes ago Maya. Not yet, we are getting closer though. Just a little bit more."

"But you said that an HOUR ago!" Axton whined.

"YES! And if we don't get there soon! I'm going to BREAK THAT ROBOT LIMB FROM LIMB!" for once everyone agreed with Salvador's proposal.

"Dibs", Axton called out.

Zer0 shook his head, "Please, the robot has done much to save us. Can you not deal with it just for a little while longer? Oof, Claptrap why did you stop so suddenly?"

"Aaaaaand here we are! The Southern Shelf, stay close to me because there are lots of, AHHHH, BULLYMONGS!" Claptrap was interrupted when some Bullymongs jumped out at the group. He went off into town without so much as looking back.

Salvador was more than happy for the change of pace, "FINALLY! SOMETHING TO KILL!"

They all made short work of the Bullymongs and walked to the gate. As they got closer, a mass message from Hyperion was being broadcasted to Pandora seeking the capture of vault hunters and Roland, the leader of the Crimson Lance. _He's really beginning to annoy me. I can't wait to get my hands on him and Phaselock him into another dimension while he dies an agaonizing death. Hm, that sounds nice and I'll take very last bit of property he owns. You'll learn to never fuck with a Siren Jack, but I am happy you are choosing to learn the hard way._

When the vault hunters reached the gate, they saw Claptrap punching in some numbers and he finally got a hold of someone.

"Hey, Hammerlock!"

A voice radiated in their displays, "Spectacular - first Captain Flynt's bandits attack, then Claptrap shows up! I must have been horrifyingly cruel to puppies in a previous life to deserve this kind of treatment."

_At least you didn't have to walk with the damn thing for THREE WHOLE HOURS! Talk about unfair treatment._

"Hmph, seems like there are bandits up ahead. You guys ready?" Axton questioned while flipping the safety off his gun.

"LAST ONE IN IS A DEAD VAULT HUNTER!" Salvador screamed as he went Rambo into the middle of the town.

"HEY! No fair!"

Maya and Zer0 looked at each other for a moment and Maya said, "My bet is Axton four, Salvador five."

"I don't think it is wise to be gambling with their lives."

"Oh no no my dear Zer0, you are mistaken. We are gambling with the bandit's lives here."

Zer0 shook his head and chuckled, "I'd have to wager on Axton three and Salvador six then."

"Alrighty, a Greenie gun then?"

"I think that's fair."

The bet was on, the two became engrossed in seeing who gets the killing shot on the bandits. _Axton got two already! Salvador's only got three, come on Axton you can do it. Oh crap, Salvador just got four. Dammit Axton get your act together. Yes! That's three, now just one more..._

Suddenly Bullymongs appeared and distracted the two betting pieces.

"Dammit! Axton was so close, aghhhh. Call this one even for now?"

Zer0 snickered, "Alright, I'll let you go this time."

Now both Zer0 and Maya charged into the fray taking out anything that even resembled a threat.

"Hey! About time you two joined us, what were yah doing over there? Making dinner plans?" Axton's accusation was half humorous and half annoyance, but Maya shrugged it off.

"Nah, we were betting on who would kill how many bandits", Maya answered.

"Wait really? Who won?"

"Neither, you two took too long to kill the bandits so we called it a draw. For the record though I did bet more on you."

Axton's irritation subsided at this comment and he smiled right before aiming down his sight and scoring a head shot on a bandit, "At least you know who to bet on."

With all four vault hunters fighting they made quick work of the enemies. Claptrap started rambling on again and rolled over to a fence, _something is strange about that fence. I feel something coming off of it. Wait, no way, that's..._

Upon making contact with the fence Claptrap began squirming and shaking, then fell over unconscious.

Salvador, Axton, and Maya were unable to help Claptrap up because they could not breathe and were gasping for air...from laughing too hard. Zer0 just stood there flabbergasted at what had just happened.

When the three caught their breaths again, a man came out from the ice house to greet them.

"A pleasure to meet you vault hunter. I am Sir Hammerlock."

Maya responded in kind, "It is our pleasure to meet you. We were about to knock out Claptrap, but you helped us with that."

"Ahh, most certainly. And while I know this is not my place to say, but you all look horribly misshapen. Would you like to come into my humble abode and rest up for the night while I fix up this yapping piece of metal?"

"That is a very gracious offer and we accept. Don't we boys?"

Everyone nodded in agreement and they entered Sir Hammerlock's home.

_Hm, it's a cute place. Well I should rest up and try to get my Phaselock to work again tomorrow. Hopefully nothing too serious was damaged. I'll take a seat and get this bandage changed. Just don't fall asleep, you're just going to rest._ Maya went over to the nearest couch and took a seat and within moments she was passed out.

Zer0 asked Sir Hammerlock for a blanket and placed it on Maya, "Sleep well my friend, you've been through a lot today."

"Hey, where's my blanket?" Axton asked, pretending to look hurt.

"Ask for one yourself. You look very capable of such a simple task."

"Alright, geez. Hurtful."

"Shut up! I'm TRYING TO SLEEP!" Salvador yelled at the two.

"By golly, please all of you quiet down. Eye replacement is a careful process. Not that I like Claptrap but you need him to get to Sanctuary. Not to mention the poor girl over there is exhausted", Sir Hammerlock instructed, "I'm giving you all until the count of three to grab a blanket and get to bed!"

"One." Salvador quickly pulled his blanket over his head.

"Two." Axton rushed to grab a blanket and tossed one over to Zer0.

"Three." All the vault hunters were now laying down somewhere in the house.

Sir Hammerlock smiled as he tinkered and spoke softly to himself, "Little boys trapped in the bodies of grown men. How quaint."

****Did a little change of pacing to the story, hope y'alls enjoy it. All the support is really helping out, please keep up the reviews, favorites, and follows!****


	9. Chapter 9: Hot and Cold

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 9**_

_**Hot and Cold**_

_Wow that was a nice dream, what was I dreaming about? Damn, I can't remember. Man I hate when that happens. _Maya's eyes fluttered as she was adjusting to the light. She turned to her side and saw Axton hunched over Salvador.

"Mmmm, what you doing there soldier boy?" Maya questioned.

"Shhhh, don't wake him up", Axton said quietly, "hahaha, this will teach you to tell me to shut up."

Maya got up slowly and stretched out her arms. She walked over to see what Axton was doing. Her eyes got wide when she saw Axton's handy work. _Oh boy, Salvador is not going to be happy about this, hah. But I gotta say, he looks better like this._

Axton was drawing a fancy French moustache and monocle on Salvador's face with a Sharpie. Maya decided that this was a boy thing so she went to the restroom to freshen up and checked her own face. Luckily there were no markings on her, other than her telltale Siren tattoos.

Although these weren't really tattoos, she called them that but Maya was born with them. She always wondered why she had them, did all Sirens have them? What was their purpose? She pondered these questions every day. One time, in an effort to look 'normal' Maya stole some make-up from a visitor of the abbey and smeared it all over her markings.

This was a big mistake because not only did she look ridiculous because the make-up was two shades darker than her skin, but her markings burned intensely. Maya tried to wash it off but passed out from the pain. The next day Brother Harker woke her up and questioned what she was doing.

"I wanted to be normal", Maya cried. She curled up into a ball, ashamed of her failed attempt.

Brother Harker sat down and pulled the little girl into him. He lifted her chin to face him and consoled, "Silly child, you are you and that is all that matters. You are the hope of the abbey. Those marks are superficial at best, but your heart, your mind, your ability, they are all you. Please don't do something so foolish again."

Maya smiled sadly remembering the man she left back in Athenus, he held her until she fell asleep. She was only seven at the time and still incredibly naive about the world. She thought she could trust Brother Harker, over the years she realized that his fear of Brother Sophis outweighed any affection he had for her. Maya splashed her face, dried up and headed back to the living room.

When Maya got there she didn't see anyone, _I guess they are all outside._ Sure enough Axton and Salvador were outside having a smoke and Sir Hammerlock was finishing up some preparations before reactivating Claptrap.

She just noticed that someone was missing, "Hey where's Zer0?"

"I don't know, he said he wanted some fresh air and just bounced", Axton replied.

Salvador turned around and added, "He wanted to go for a run. Like he would ever RUN! The wind alone probably propels him ACROSS THE DAMN ICE!"

Maya burst out laughing, the drawings were complete and damn were they funny. _Oh my God, does Salvador really not notice? Ahahaha, can't breathe, oh my jeez._

"Hey! What's so funny?!" Salvador questioned.

"Nothing, nothing. Sorry, your joke was just really...pfft...funny."

Salvador gave her a dirty look, which only added to the hilarity that he was a Dwarf man with a moustache and monocle on his face. Axton couldn't help but join in and soon the two were laughing so hard that Salvador couldn't take it anymore.

"SHUT UP! BOTH OF YOU! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Salvador's voice boomed in the canyon and the two stopped laughing.

Without any warning Salvador walked over and grabbed Sir Hammerlock roughly asking, "What did they do?!"

Sir Hammerlock was stammering, "Um...well...they, kinda did something, but not they, it's more one of them. Well, it's more of...uh, drew on your face."

Salvador's face was almost beet red as he rushed back into the house, Maya heard a loud scream and walked back in to see him trying to wash the Sharpie off his face.

"Um, Salvador?"

"WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU WANT?! I'M SORRY DID YOU NEED TO DRAW IN SOME FRECKLES WHILE YOU WERE AT IT?"

"No, hey I'm sorry I laughed. It wasn't funny. I should have told you."

Axton peeked out from behind her, "Hey buddy, I'm sorry about drawing on your face. I didn't think you'd be so upset."

Salvador faced away from them, "No, it's not your fault. I just. I was bullied as a kid and that's why I am who I am now."

"Someone dared to bully you?" Maya questioned.

"HAH! Now? Please, those little punks would die. But back then I was a scrawny little boy that you could pick up and throw across a room. And now I'm a big muscular Greek god dammit. Yet ,all this time all you people do is make fun of me and I'm sick of it."

Both vault hunters looked at their dejected friend in pain, Axton did some quick thinking and tried to lighten the mood.

"Hey bro no worries! We harass each other out of love man! Come on, I say mean things to Maya all the time. Missy A-Cup here has so little boob that I wonder if her body armor is padded," Axton proceeded to grab Maya's chest, which got him a slap in the face.

"Hey! You're not so much better Captain Tinker! Sometimes I wonder if you aren't overcompensating for something down there," Maya quipped as she punched Axton's crotch.

"WOAH THERE! FAMILY JEWELS!" Axton cried out in pain.

The two were about to get into an all-out fight when they heard Salvador whimpering.

Maya tapped Axton's shoulder and went to Salvador, "Hey big guy, we're really sorry. Please forgive us?"

Suddenly Salvador turned around laughing hysterically. The other two looked at each other in confusion, they stood there for another few moments until they realized what Salvador's incoherent babbling was, "You two! AHAHAHA A-cup...aha...overcompen...YOU TWO ARE RIDICULOUS!"

The two smiled brightly at Salvador, "Hey bro, anything to get you happy." Axton was glad that his friend wasn't sad anymore.

Maya added, "And we promise to not harass you...as much as before. We still will though."

Axton threw in, "Yeah man, bro code."

"I can LIVE WITH THAT!" Salvador cheered.

"Are you all done with this childish squander? Can we please leave?" Zer0's voice rang in suddenly causing everyone to jump a little. He just returned from his run to find Sir Hammerlock frightened, Claptrap up and running, along with his friends laughing uncontrollably. This day became ridiculous too quickly.

"Ha-HA. I'm alive! Minion, I've got my eyesight back and you're far uglier than I remembered! Time to join up with the Crimson Raiders in Sanctuary!" Claptrap was up again, damn.

_I wonder, if he falls down a steep cliff. Will we hear him scream?_ Maya's patience was always tested when Claptrap started talking, a sentiment her whole team shared.

The team said their goodbyes to Sir Hammerlock, Salvador stayed a few minutes longer to apologize for his earlier outburst. As they exited the town Maya revelled in the beauty of the sun's rays on the clear ice. _This place would be nice for a sunset walk. I wonder who I'd bring here. A nice picnic on the ice, ahhhhh that would be the best. _Maya's mind was so entranced in her thoughts that she barely noticed a bullet whiz past her head.

"MAYA LOOK OUT!" Maya turned back to see Zer0 lunge at her full force, which slammed both bodies onto the icy floor. Axton and Salvador were already engaging the bandits from the huts in front of them, it took mere seconds before they were all dead.

Zer0 brought Maya up in his arms, "Hey! Hey! Are you okay? Why were you just walking with your head in the clouds? Dammit Maya."

Maya blinked a few times to regain stability, then roughly pushed Zer0 away.

"Damn you! Why did you have to push me so hard? Jeez", Maya complained but she was grateful inside, deep inside, like so deep down that she will not admit it.

"Ugh, forget it", Zer0 replied as he bolted off in frustration.

Maya was in no mood to talk either, she hated being scolded as a child and age didn't seem to take away that stubbornness. She always wanted to be treated as an equal, or better, as a superior. Maya didn't like feeling helpless or weak because she was always worried that people would take advantage of her. _Damn Zer0, who asked for his help? I could do anything BY MY DAMN FUCKING SELF! I'll show that asshole. _She turned back, looked at Axton and Salvador, gave a quick nod and they were off into the next little town.

By this point the vault hunters managed to form an unspoken routine, Salvador charged into the middle to draw agro, Axton and Maya shot the distracted enemies from a middle ranged distance, while Zer0 took an overwatch position and killed off anything unluckly enough to fall into his sights. After the vault hunters finished clearing the area Claptrap hurried over to lower a drawbridge that lead to another portion of the bandit hideout.

"Wait, we must sit and regroup for a moment first", Zer0 advised after noticing that everyone was pretty beat up.

"Ugh, yeah I second that", Axton groaned, "That took a bit outta me."

Maya looked at her friends and felt a pang of sadness when she noticed their wounds, "Yeah okay, you guys do that. I...I wanna go for a quick walk. See yah in a bit."

Without waiting for a reply Maya hopped off the drawbridge and landed gracefully on the icy floor. She walked to the distance, not exactly sure where she was planning to even go. Her echo device indicated that it was 13:15, _man we had a late start today. Gotta move fast to make up for lost time._..._But they're hurt, again. Dammit Maya why did you have to just run head on into things? You idiot!_

Maya knew that they all got hurt because of her selfish anger, the fact that she couldn't take defeat and ended up dragging everyone down too. She always had a short temper, even as a kid it was terrible, it was over the years that she learned how to hone her powers along with her anger. But even the best actors forget their lines and Maya was no different. Losing her Phaselock ability devastated her, it was the one thing she could offer to the group and now it was gone.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't even see the box in front of her and tripped over it falling face first into the ice.

"AGHHHH! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON TODAY?!" Maya screamed out in frustration.

Her cries alerted the local bandits as they swarmed out from their hiding spots. _Oh, FUCK ME! Let's see, one, two...hmmm...only six. I can do this._

Maya was hiding behind a knee-high wall that just conveniently happened to be there about fifteen feet away from the enemies hideout (seriously). One-by-one she took them out, _come on, don't be stupid. Think! Think! One at a time. Don't run out there._

Soon enough all the bandits were dead, Maya walked up to see if there was anything to loot from their corpses. The echo device was very helpful in this endeavor, it had been modified by its previous owner to pick up all money and ammo. As Maya was about to leave she noticed a platform with a lever. Curiosity got the better of her and she took it up, once she arrived at the top she saw a 'Zed' store.

Maya walked up and activated the vendor. _Woah, no way. Insta-healths, shields, class mods, this is awesome! Hm, seems like I can sell some stuff too._ Maya took her time looking at the merchandise and bought one for everyone.

_These shields will come in handy later. _Maya smiled as she imagined Salvador and Axton fighting for the better shield. She hurried back to the group, excited to give them the little pick-me-ups for the day.

Little did she know how much of a pick-me-up it would be...

****Keep up all the support everyone! I'm having as much fun writing these as you are reading them. Please continue with the reviews, favorites, and follows****

**Also, for those wondering about Maya's love story. Let's just say, you haven't met the love of her life yet =) I won't be like Ted and build onto an eight season story, but we're getting there. Thanks for your patience and I hope you'll fall in love with the characters as much as I have writing about them!**


	10. Chapter 10: No Attachment

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 10**_

_**No Attachments**_

Zer0 looked out into the icy tundra while pacing back and forth. He felt something was wrong, Maya had been gone for almost half an hour.

"Hey, can you stop walking around like that? I can see your footprints on the damn snow," Axton complained, getting dizzy from watching Zer0 for the past ten minutes.

"She is still not back, I heard some gunshots earlier, and she hasn't contacted us," Zer0 countered. "I'm worried."

"Bro, I feel for you. But Maya is a grown woman and she can take care of herself."

"Please, she was walking with her head in the clouds earlier, she could have gotten shot!"

"Well she didn't, instead she got a fat ass bruise from your football tackle. Seriously was that even necessary?"

Salvador joined in, "Yeah, that was totally OVERKILL! You KNOCKED the poor girl down so fast and then YELLED AT HER!"

"Yeah, man was she pissed. I don't think I'd ever seen her so quiet before," Axton agreed, defending his friend.

Zer0 turned away from the guys, annoyed by their snarky comments. He knew that he was being harsh, but Maya was just too childish not to care for. She is a Siren, but does not realize how delicate the balance is between life and death. His concern partly stemmed from a scientific curiosity because Maya is part of a rare species, even more rare than his own.

Back on Zer0's home planet he worked with a secret branch of law enforcement personnel. During this time there he created his masterpiece, the Cloak Tech-otherwise known as CT-and established himself as a top of the line officer.

However years went by and he got bored, it was all too easy. Nothing seemed to challenge him except for the red-tape that came with killing a target. Oh yeah, that's where he got his start as an assassin. The secret organization Zer0 worked for was owned by a private investor who had many political enemies.

One day, while digging up some high clearance files from a high value target Zer0 came across a file on Sirens. This sparked his curiosity so he stole the file, finished his job, and went home anxious to give it a look. Everything he read amazed him, Zer0 always liked to keep his past hidden for professional purposes, but this was different. Everyone wanted to learn more about Sirens but they all failed in their attempts.

Zer0 saw an academic challenge beyond any he could understand before, he needed to know more. Fast forward a few months later, the hidden organization he worked for had been found out, hunted down, and Zer0 branded an assassin. This was when he fled, sure of his destination. Months of research concluded that there was a Siren living on Pandora, but she had been killed in battle. Even so his scientific curiosity brought him to the estranged planet, in search for answers.

A few weeks flew by without him being able to dig up anything new. He just went from place to place killing worthless bandit after puny wildlife. Zer0 was getting very bored. However his luck changed when a bartender informed him about a Vault that contained treasures and dangerous creatures. This was exactly the challenge he was waiting for, Zer0 went to his room to rest and get ready to leave. The next morning the same bartender went up to his room and handed him an echo recorder from an anonymous sender:

"Hi! This is Handsome Jack, owner of Hyperion Incorporated. Would you like to change up your life? Do something challenging that no one has dared to try before? Well you're in luck, come to the Hyperion train station tomorrow at 10AM to join-"

Zer0 turned off the recording and headed out, he heard all he needed to hear. He had an astounding pace and got to the train station in record time. Zer0 needed something to clear his head, to relax and enjoy a challenge so that he may later revisit his Siren research. The next day he saw a soldier and Dwarf man show up to the station, the three stood there in awkward silence for a very, very long time.

It was about 9:45 that Zer0 noticed another vault hunter coming to join them, he turned to see a Siren. The ancient legendary warrior, the most mysterious oddity in the world, all this just standing there in all her petite glory. Zer0 found it whimsical that half a year's' search concluded in him finding a Siren while waiting for a train. His science experiment practically handed herself to him, this will be very interesting.

Yet now here he was, pacing back and forth hoping that Maya would come back soon. Zer0 had always been a being of sensible thinking, but these people were starting to change something in him. His kind had never been known to be feeling, it freed up their minds to think about important matters. So it was strange for him to be fretting about anyone. It was, scary.

"Sup?" Zer0 stopped and turned to see Maya standing there. "What you up to losers? Look what I bought!"

Maya digistructed the shields and tossed one to each person. "So I had a small run in with some bandits, killed them, got some loot, then bought me some goodies," Maya informed happily. "Consider it a gift for my stupidity earlier."

Axton equipped his and smiled, "If we get gifts like this every time, then you should be stupid more often sis."

At this comment Maya gave Axton a sharp look. _Sis? He must have a death wish._ A soft smile spread on her face, "You wish, bro!"

Zer0 stood there speechless, this woman was just ridiculous. One moment happy, then another moment mad, and now giddy after buying some shields?

"Feelings complicate / Yet humans are naught without / With no compromise," Zer0 spoke softly as he equipped the shield.

"Alright boys, you ready to continue?" Maya questioned.

"LET'S DO THIS!" Salvador cried out.

Axton dashed off first, "LAST ONE THERE...IS THE LAST ONE THERE!"

The vault hunters ran over the drawbridge and jumped down. The moment they got there Maya saw a man jumping into a large cannon gun as well as a mini-man with a grenade launcher.

_Yikes, time to go boom boom._

****Heya, the support I've been getting is seriously overwhelming. I hope that it continues because it's nice to know that I invoke emotions in others. Again, write up those reviews, favorites, and follows****

**News Update: I'm curious, shoot me a PM or review this, but do you guys prefer my shorter chapters or longer ones? I go through a process of planning, writing, and then editing so sometimes I take longer to pump out certain chapters. Any suggestions? I'm always open to grammatical help if it so comes to that as well.**


	11. Chapter 11: It's BoomBewm?

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 11**_

_**It's Boom...Bewm?**_

"Light the fuses bitches!"

All four vault hunters directed their attention at a man sitting on top of a large ass cannon. It was now that Maya realized their ECHO devices highlighted the names of some enemies. _Why didn't I notice this before? Hm, strange._

"Haha, these guys are a joke. I call Big Bertha!" Axton exclaimed.

"YEAH HAHAHAHA! DIE!" Salvador screamed while running at the cannon.

Their combined efforts dispatched the cannon within minutes and Boom jumped out to join the fight.

Salvador turned to face a smaller man and screamed, "YAHAHAHA I GOT DIBS ON BEYUM!"

Axton stopped fighting and looked at Salvador bewildered.

"Um, did you just say Beyum?" Axton questioned.

"Yes! Why? Did you want him?!"

"Well no, but his name is Bewm, juse like how you'd say Boom."

"NO! IT'S BEYUM! THAT'S HOW IT'S SPELLED!"

"Haha, NO that's NOT how it's spelled."

Axton and Salvador break into an all-out argument in the middle of the battlefield. They were oblivious to everything around them as they fought needlessly about a name. Maya was busy dealing with some of the bandits to notice. _My God they are EVERYWHERE! Where the hell are Axton and Salvador. _Hers eyes darted around the field trying to find the two troublemakers.

_Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME?! They are fighting, WHILE WE'RE FIGHTING?_

"Hey! You self-absorbed assholes, what the hell are you fighting about?!"

Axton gave an indignant reply, "This dumbass is saying the name wrong!"

"Ai dios mio! This idiota is the one that's saying it wrong! The name is OBVIOUSLY BEYUM!" Salvador countered. Maya face-palmed at this remark.

"Oh good God! Obviously the name is Boom and Bewm with a little 'ew' in the middle not the full 'oo' sound. Get it right dammit!" Maya yelled at the two of them, furious that they were fighting about a name.

"Well I will just have to RESPECTFULLY disagree with you there genius," Axton fought back.

Now all three of them started yelling back and forth about whose pronunciation was correct. Zer0 finished dispatching the the Bandit Lunatics, then found his three friends fighting with each other. He noticed that Boom-Bewm were behind the airplane wing, probably healing themselves.

For the first time in his entire life-span Zer0 screamed at the top of his lungs, "Damn you IDIOTS! Boom-Bewm are over there! Stop fighting each other and hit the enemy!"

Maya was the first to turn and called out in victory, "HAH! I told you it was Boom-Bewm and not Beyum or just Boom, morons."

"Woah there, that's not fair. You alien kinds band together like that," Axton retaliated.

"We what?" Maya questioned, she knew what she heard but wanted to hear him say it one more time.

Axton just realized what he said, but it was already too late. He stumbled trying to think of words to say, luckily for him someone else rang in.

"HEY! YOU ASSHOLES! WHAT ARE WE? INVISIBLE?!"

They all turned to see Boom-Bewm rushing at them, Maya decided it was best to put aside Axton's comment for the time being. _Dammit those annoying bastards! Aghhh, my arm._

"Come on FUCKER! I've just about had it with your ass!" Maya blurted out, raising her gun to take the shot. She winced as she felt a sharp pain radiating from her arm, but did her best to ignore it.

As usual Salvador was the first to charge into the fray, "ALRIGHT DAMMIT! LET'S GO YOU LITTLE MIDGETS!"

Zer0 promptly composed himself and began layering on bullet after bullet. Axton was still bumbling in his mind until a bullet caught his thigh, bringing him back into reality. He went down on one knee, clutching his thigh and reached for his gun. Maya turned just in time to see Axton fall down. _No way, Axton? Shit you little stupid fuck, if you die on me I'll freaking KILL YOU!_

Maya dashed over, putting her body in between Axton and the Boom-Bewn brothers.

"Hey weak sauce, get the hell up and get out of the way!"

Axton looked up, white from the pain, "Oh please shut up, not like I make it a goal to get hurt."

Maya glanced down to see Axton's leg bleeding profusely, her eyes skimmed the area for a healing hypo. She saw that there was one next to Zer0.

"Zer0! Can you pass over that Hypo?" Maya yelled hoping he would hear her.

Luckily he did, Zer0 reached down for the Hypo and threw it towards Maya. She picked it up and gingerly jammed it into Axton's leg, "Okay now stay here for a moment to let it heal."

"Damn woman! You just jabbed a new hole into my leg!" Axton proclaimed.

"Hmph, that'll teach you to mess with me," Maya retorted, "now stay still!"

It took a few moments for the Hypo to kick in, probably because of their latest run in with Handsome Jack. Axton gradually felt his leg heal, "Okay, almost good. Ugh."

_Come on you idiot, heal faster! _Maya was doing her best to fend off the Boom-Bewm brothers but they were getting closer by the second. Suddenly she heard Zer0 call her name, she looked over to see him pointing at something. Maya looked up and saw a grenade flying at them. _Oh fuck._

Maya pushed Axton down and threw her body on top of him, readying herself for the explosion.

*BOOM*

****All the feedback has been great in my efforts to bringing you guys the best story I can! Also, I like to do random tidbits of 'meta-thinking' within the game, see if you can catch that ;D Hit me up with a review, favorite, follow, or even PM me if you wanted to just chat****


	12. Chapter 12: Don't ChangeEver

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 12**_

_**Don't Change...Ever**_

Maya held onto Axton tightly as she heard the explosion go off, she kneeled there waiting for the pain of hot gunpowder and shrapnel, but it never came. Maya loosened her grip and looked behind her to see a familiar figure standing in front of them, Salvador.

"GET UP YOU WEAKLINGS AND LET'S GO!" Salvador screamed, seemingly unphased by the grenade.

Axton rushed to Salvador's side, "Okay let's do this!"

Maya was caught off guard, there's no way someone could have just survived that explosion without a scratch. _Salvador? Are you alright?_ She put aside her concerns for a moment and rejoined the fight. The team finished off the two brothers within minutes.

With the immediate threat taken care of Maya walked over to Salvador to take a look at him.

"Hey Salvi, can you turn around for me?" Maya asked.

Salvador looked away stubbornly, "I'm FINE! HAHAHA! JUST A FLESH WOUND!"

"Dammit, Salvador...whatever your last name is! You are going to turn around and face me now!"

Salvador obeyed, slouching like a puppy that just got scolded by his owner, when Maya saw the extent of his wounds she nearly fell over.

"Oh my God, why do you always do this Salvador?! Your face is half blown off!"

Salvador mumbled a reply that was barely audible which surprised Maya since he had never been so quiet before, but she pressed on anyways, "Next time please don't do that. You're always running in and getting hurt dammit." Maya leaned over to check on his wounds.

"Well, I DIDN'T WANT YOU TWO TO GET HURT!" Salvador's booming voice startled Maya. She lost balance and fell over.

"Ow, what the hell Salvi, what was that...for?" Maya was in shock, he was crying. "Did you really think a tiny explosion like that would have phased me?"

"IF I DON'T GET TO PLAY HERO, YOU DON'T EITHER! I saw how much your arm hurt! I saw Axton's leg! You people get mad at me for being reckless, NOW IT'S MY TURN!"

Maya didn't know what to say, she never realized how Salvador felt, hell she didn't know he felt anything at all. She reached down to Salvador's face-or at least the side that wasn't burnt off-and consoled her friend, "Hey, hey, we're sorry okay? It's just that I get lost in the heat of the moment and Axton is, well Axton. You can't blame a soldier for being dogmatic, it's in his blood."

Normally Axton would have given a snarky reply, but he decided to let it go this time.

"Yeah Salv, as a man I have also been trained 'NEVER TO LISTEN' and I'm a fast learner," Axton said, winking at him.

"Now how about we patch you up eh?"

Salvador nodded meekly, Maya reached for his arm and gently injected the Hypo. She watched in amazement as Salvador's wounds healed right in front of her eyes. _You're so childish, just because I know you are strong doesn't mean it doesn't pain me to see you get hurt._

"Minion, get on that cannon!" Maya jumped slightly at the sudden noise. She saw Claptrap banging at the gate to no avail, then turned around to see that Zer0 was getting on the cannon.

"Just blast this gate down, but DON'T do it until I'm out of the way! Understand? If you shot..." Claptrap went off on this ramblings again, _this is SO not the time for this bullshit. _Zer0 waited for Claptrap to get out of the way, doing this best to be patient with the robot but he was running short on that as of late.

A minute passed but Claptrap was still talking, Zer0 became exasperated and gave up, "Oh fuck it."

*BOOM*

"AHAHAHAHA! I never thought I'd see the day that the mighty Zer0 would lose his patience," Maya exclaimed in delight, "this is a nice change of pace."

Axton added, "Remember me not to piss you off Stick man."

Their excitement was short lived when a hoard of enemies came swarming in from the new hole in the wall. They took cover behind another wall as Zer0 wailed on the bandits with his new weapon. This fight did not last long.

When the smoke cleared they all regrouped in front of the cannon, each person glanced around at one another. Maya lifted her head to the sky and smiled, "You all annoy me... Don't any of you dare change."

With that last remark Maya made her way to Claptrap, who was already leaving the Southern Shelf for God knows where. She didn't care anymore, as long as she had those three watching her back Maya knew she would never have to worry.

The guys stood there silently watching her walk away. Axton chuckled and directed his eyes at the other two, "Thanks guys, you're the best brothers a soldier could ask for. But don't tell anyone else I said that because I will deny it!"

Zer0 retorted, "Hah, me? Your brother? You wish." He punched Axton's shoulder and walked off.

"Hey! You'd be lucky to have Captain Tinker as your brother! Stick man!" Salvador yelled out.

"Thanks Salv it's oka-," Axton thanked, but caught himself when he noticed the snub comment, "wait hey! This Captain Tinker thing better not stick!"

Zer0 backed up Salvador, "No worries, we're just messing with you. It's not like we actually believe you are overcompensating for something."

Axton raised an eyebrow and sighed, this was definitely family.

****This chapter came up quick because I wanted to mess with you guys a bit ;D Too cruel? Either way, keep up those reviews, favorites, and follows****

**As a heads up though, I'm starting college again so I might get to a point where I pump out one chapter a day. I will always do my best to be speedy about it, but I have school, my sorority, and extracurriculars to take care of as well.**


	13. Chapter 13: Hot Shit

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 13**_

_**Hot Sh*t**_

The guys were still arguing about their cute little nicknames when Axton walked straight into Maya knocking them both down.

"Woah Maya why'd you just stand there for?" Axton asked while extending a hand to help her up.

"Look up," Maya replied.

They all looked up to see a large dragon head that was shooting out fire. It was quite a sight to behold. Maya stood there amazed by the sheer size of the monument, it must have taken a lot of manpower to create such a thing. _Man, that is very cool. I wish I had a dragon head on my boat...if I ever get one._

Maya was thinking about her future boat when Claptrap's voice rang in their ECHO devices, interrupting seemed to run rampant in this little gang.

"So uh, I might have tried to stage a mutiny on Captain Flynt's ship before the flash freeze. Which explains why his men are currently beating the crap out of me."

_Wait what? Isn't he right here with us...shit. _Maya tried to find Claptrap but he was nowhere to be seen. _I can't believe this! He actually ran forward without us?! Did he think he could take them on himself? Jeez!_

Zer0 saw the angered look on Maya's face and shook his head, "This is to be expected of Claptrap by now."

Maya scoffed, not bothering to fight with him about it she ran off to the camp. She quickly took down two bandits that emerged from a nearby hut while the guys fought off the Rakks above them. The team slowly made their way through the camp, mowing down anyone stupid enough to get in their way.

As they turned a corner they saw a group of bandits smashing on Claptrap. _Oh hell no! No one messes with Claptrap BUT US! _Maya yelled out, "HEY! Leave our annoying robot alone!"

"YES! ONLY WE ARE ALLOWED TO HIT HIM!" Salvador blurted.

The bandits turned around just in time for each to get three bullets lodged in their heads. Axton, Salvador, and Maya stood there with their mouths gaping. They slowly turned their heads to face Zer0, the smoke from his sniper rifle was just starting to settle.

"A swift death from me / Faster than the eye can see / So don't fuck with me," Zer0's haiku was meant to be humorous, but by the looks of everyone's face he knew it got another effect as well. Not that he was going to say anything.

Zer0 walked right by the three, smirking underneath his mask. "Well, come along children. Also, close your mouths or you might swallow a fly."

Maya snapped her mouth shut and followed him. _Damn, what a show off._

They breezed through the rest of the bandits, making their way closer and closer to Captain Flynt. Maya saw a flight of stairs and began heading up when she felt a hand grab her. Out of pure instinct she grabbed it, elbowed her attacker, and flipped him over, pulling out her gun to shoot.

"WOAH WOAH WOAH THERE MISSY! It's me!" Axton wailed out, while covering his face.

"Dammit Axton! Why did you grab me like that for?" Maya chided.

"Well I didn't think you'd FUCKING KARATE BODY SLAM MY ASS!" Axton exclaimed, "I feel sorry for the guy that marries you!"

"Oh shut up, why don't you just toss him up?"

"What? Hell no I ain't his babysitter, just wanted to let you know that there is a platform he can go up on. We just need to find the switch."

"Alright, fine," Maya replied curtly, she reached into her pocket and tossed Axton a tissue,"Hey your nose is bleeding, sorry."

Axton wiped his face and put away the tissue, "It's fine, I wasn't going to hit a girl anywho."

"AHAHAHAHA! Axton got beat up by a GIRL!" Salvador was holding back his laughter after seeing Axton getting pummelled.

"Hey! I was not! It was a fluke!"

"YEAH YOU WERE! AHAHAHAHA!"

Maya stepped in between the two, pushing them apart, "Alright you two, no more of this. Can we please move on and get to Sanctuary?"

She gave each guy a stern look and ran up the stairs to catch up with Zer0. Axton and Salvador followed suit. It took them a few minutes to clear the area, but they found the platform switch and Claptrap ascended to them. _His ass better shut up or I'll shut it for him._

Luckily for Claptrap he went straight to the door and opened it for the team. There was a convenient ammo store there so the group sold some loot and got their ammo pack filled up. Time to have some fun.

****Special thanks to the guest reviewers, I love reading them and hope you guys keep sending them in. As for the awesome members that follow me, thanks as always, this community is awesome to have! Keep up those reviews, favorites, and follows****


	14. Chapter 14: Don't Be a Hero

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 14**_

_**Don't Be a Hero**_

_Alright, time to get this son of a bitch, get to Sanctuary, and call it a damn night._ Maya temper was getting really short as of late and she knew it had something to do with her arm. It was bothering her more and more as the day drew on. When Axton grabbed her earlier it burned under his touch, her sudden reaction was from the pain.

Maya needed to get this under control because it was affecting her ability to fight. Lifting her arm sent a shooting pain into her head and every pull of the trigger felt like she was being stabbed by a hot poker. She did her best to ignore it, but it was starting to worry her.

Axton looked up from his belt and saw Maya softly grasping her bandaged arm, he noticed that it started bleeding again. He patted his body to see if there was any left over bandage. Fortunately there was a small roll left, Axton walked over to Maya and gingerly called to her, "Hey sit down."

Maya snapped out of her thoughts and turned to face Axton, "Why?"

"Well in case you haven't noticed-which I'm sure you haven't-your arm is bleeding again."

She looked down and saw that he was right, but tried to shrug it off, "Nah I'm okay I just need to give it a minute. Probably all that running doing me in."

"Hey now, don't you try to be stubborn with me. Just sit down and let's change those bandages."

Reluctantly Maya sat down, Axton unravelled the old bandages and upon seeing her wounds his heart broke. It was healing no doubt, but there seemed to be an infection spreading because the skin was looking rather yellow.

Axton remembered the last time he saw skin look like this, it was on his best friend Jason. They were on a tour of duty when a mortar attack obliterated their camp. Jason's leg was gashed open and many other soldiers were injured, but since all communications were down they couldn't get hold of a chopper.

Axton watched in agony as his friend went from bad to worse. He knew how strong Jason was, still this was bad. Every day that dragged on Jason put on a pained smile to keep Axton happy, but Axton knew better. It hurt to see Jason in so much pain, not being able to do anything about it.

Three days after the attack the choppers finally flew in, but by then Jason was too far gone. The infection had spread too far into his bloodstream and there was no way to save him. Axton held onto his hand, begging him to keep fighting as they neared the chopper. However, Jason knew the truth, he motioned at the medics and told them to leave him, "Please help the others."

The medics hesitated for a moment but knew that Jason was right. They set him down gently and started to move towards other soldiers, Axton flew into a bout of rage and screamed at the medics to save his friend.

Jason quickly grabbed Axton's hand and pulled him down, "Hey, don't go diva on me now. Heh. We've seen this before Axton, I'm done for."

"No, no. Jason you're fine! Don't you say that! They'll patch you up and we'll go out for a drink!"

Jason tried to laugh, but instead coughed profusely, "Man this is pathetic."

"Shut up man, you're gonna be fine. CAN SOMEBODY GET THIS MAN IN THE DAMN CHOPPER!"

Jason squeezed Axton's hand tighter, "Axton, you know the truth, admit it. I'm done for, but there are men here that might survive. To see their family, friends, lovers, children, their...everything. Please just let me be and let these men live."

Axton kneeled over Jason, crying inconsolably, "Why?! Why do you have to die? Why! You've suffered so much already, why can't you just retire and find a nice girl?"

"Suffer? Axton the only suffering I got was from watching you care for me. You, the hardheaded dickwad, actually caring for another human being. You, crying every night in the corner so no one would see. You're the best brother a guy could ask for. But please, don't cry."

"It's not like I want to," Axton replied, tears running along his face.

"You know, the first night of my injuries. I wanted to die? The pain was infuriating. I hate admitting shit hurts but damn did that fuck hurt! It felt like my leg just kept burning and burning, I just wanted it all to end. But of course it didn't, the next night was the same, then the next. And here I am about to be saved, but all I can think of is how nice it would be to just stop all the pain."

Axton stared up meekly, he opened his mouth to speak but was shushed immediately.

"I'm sorry that I'm being selfish, but Axton I really can't do this anymore," Jason begged, "My leg, my stomach, my head, it all hurts. I know whatever it is, is already too far gone to save me. I...I'm sorry Axton. Forgive me, but I'm done. I'll see you, when I see you...brother."

Jason's breathing slowed down until he stopped altogether. Axton cried out in anguish, his screams shaking even the most hardened veteran. Jason was later given an honorary medal for his sacrifice to the platoon, his actions saved another Private by opening room in the chopper..

As Axton sat there staring at Maya's wounds his eyes welled up again. She was taken back, but tried to calm him, "Hey, woah there. I'm not that hideous am I?"

"Does it hurt?"

"What?"

"You heard me, does it hurt?"

"Well of course n-" Maya was about to lie, but Axton's gaze trapped her mid-sentence. She squeezed her arm a little tighter. All her life she wanted to be strong, powerful, better so that she may drown out that little girl inside her that always screamed for help. Maya didn't want to admit any pain because it hurt more to admit pain than to feel it. However, Axton's eyes broke something in her, "Yes...yes it does."

Axton stood up quickly, took a deep breath and wiped away his tears. He walked over to Zer0, handing him the bandages, "Please, fix her up. I need to grab a smoke."

Zer0 was taken off guard by the emotional soldier, a man he thought was only ever capable of being Mister Macho, but he snapped out of his daze and took the bandages. Salvador glanced over at Zer0, nodded his head and followed Axton. Maya was still sitting there, dumbfounded by what just happened.

"He is sad to see you hurt," Zer0 said, _can this guy seriously read minds?_

"It's just a cut, nothing serious," Maya countered.

"He knows you're lying. I know you're lying. Hell I think even Salvador knows you're lying. No one can get a rod in their arm and just be fine," Zer0 pulled on the old bandages to reveal the wounds and was shocked by Maya's condition. "Dammit woman how are you still shooting?"

"You guys act like I've never been hurt before."

"That's not the damn point, the injury is severely infected," Zer0 digistructed a container and slathered some ointment on Maya's arm.

"Ahh! What the hell man! That shit hurts!"

"Just stay still, it'll burn for a while, but it will kill the bacteria. This is a family recipe"

Maya looked away, wincing at the new pain in her arm. _This asshole, he can shove this family recipe right up his ass. Oh my GOD IT HURTS!_

Zer0 gently rebandaged Maya's arm and injected another Hypo, "This should hold you over until we can get better medical attention."

A few minutes later Axton and Salvador came back, laughing along the way. The heat in Maya's arm was fading away so she stood up to join them, "Hey what's so funny?"

"He was telling me about the time he-" Salvador was getting into the story when Axton punched his stomach.

"Hey! Bro-code here!"

"OH Right! Sorry Maya, only man talk here!"

Maya smiled, "Alright alright, you boys go about your day then."

It never failed to amuse her at how guys seemed to get over themselves so quickly, yet here she was moping about a cut arm. Albeit it was technically a gaping hole in her arm, but that was beside the point. Zer0 called over to them, "Come here. Claptrap just fell over onto the ship!"

Maya face-palmed, _this robot is never going to learn is he? Hmph, he's kinda funny though. Ah, whatever, let's see what trouble he's getting us into this time._

She immediately regretted thinking that because lo and behold, on the other side of the boat was Captain Flynt.

"I can never catch a fucking break," Maya grumbled.

Axton quipped, "Well you are teaming up with a loose cannon soldier, a crazy Dwarf man, a Haiku speaking assassin, and a loudmouth robot. What were you expecting?"

_That bastard never stops with the jokes does he?_

Maya tilted her head at Axton and raised an eyebrow, "You're right, what can I possibly expect from such a ragtag team of misfits?"

****I know my story is mainly Maya, but every now and then I think it's nice to develop other characters as well. To keep the story fresh and such. Do tell me if you guys like that though, if not I'll try to stay Maya orientated. As usual, review, favorite, and follow****


	15. Chapter 15: Houston We Have a Problem

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 15**_

_**Houston We Have a Problem**_

Captain Flynt was not your ordinary bandit, he was twice Maya's height, and three times the size of Salvador. He was dual wielding an anchor and a light machine gun, _what is up with all the men on this planet and being macho?_

Maya did not understand what was the purpose of carrying such a large anchor, nor did she understand what a light machine gun could do from so far away. Either way it did not matter at the moment, Captain Flynt's henchmen were swarming at them.

Zer0 took cover behind a far wall, getting headshot after headshot. Salvador was drawing aggro as usual and with his new shield, he was taking like never before. Axton was right beside Maya as they took turns shooting and reloading.

"Man, this is easier than I thought!" Axton shouted.

"Oh shut it, don't go jinxing us now," Maya joked.

Just then, as if Captain Flynt heard them, he jumped from his platform and charged forward.

Maya shook her head, then smacked Axton, "Yup, you are officially the team jinx."

"Gosh I'm sorry! Didn't think he'd actually come down," Axton said apologetically.

Maya smiled as she shot a Flaming Psycho's arm off, the man began running around in a circle as blood spurted from his arm. _That's pretty funny._

"AHAHAHAHA! Good SHOT Maya! That is hilarious!" Salvador screamed.

"Thank you very much my good sir," Maya said nodding her head.

Suddenly they felt the metal shake underneath them, Maya turned to see Captain Flynt swinging his anchor at Salvador. She noticed that Salvador was already bleeding and slightly limping. _Oh no you don' t you son of a bitch!_

Captain Flynt raised his anchor once more, about to smash it down on Salvador. Out of pure instinct Maya dove out and with all the energy left in her, Phaselocked Captain Flynt. Everyone immediately focused their fire on him and within moments his limp body fell to the ground.

"MAYA!" Axton called out, the fear in his voice evident. Zer0 and Salvador looked over to see Captain Flynt's anchor smack dab on top of Maya's unmoving body.

Salvador's rage exploded and he went beserk, grabbing the closest two machine guns and ran at all the bandits still left over. Axton and Zer0 were struggling to lift the anchor off of her, to little avail. When Salvador was finally finished he came back to the team. In one swift motion he lifted the anchor just enough so they could pull her out from under it.

"Maya? Maya? Open your eyes, look at me," Axton pleaded, but Maya didn't respond, "Dammit Maya please look at me."

Zer0 was frantic, he digistructed every last bit of medicine he had left on him, "Axton please, move aside so I can work on her."

It took a few pulls to yank Maya from Axton's arms, but Zer0 went to work immediately. He barked instructions left and right, calling upon all his medicinal training to save Maya. After a few tense moments her condition seemed to stabilize.

"I've done everything I can, but she needs to rest before we can actually know for sure," Zer0 said, "preferably somewhere warm."

"You comin?" Claptrap's voice startled the guys. "Alright-now we've just gotta to get on my ship."

Salvador lunged at Claptrap, "DAMN YOU ROBOT! YOU LEAD US STRAIGHT INTO THAT FUCKER! YOU KNEW HE WAS THERE, I'M GOING TO TEAR YOU INTO PIECES!"

Axton reacted just quickly enough to grab onto him, "Hey! Calm down! None of us wanted this to happen, but he's our only way out of here."

The two struggled for a while until Salvador calmed down, Axton slowly loosened his grip.

"We must get her on that ship and give her some time to rest," Zer0 was walking toward them with Maya in his arms.

"Yeah," Axton agreed, he put his arm on Salvador's shoulder, "come on big guy."

The team hurried onto the ship and set sail. Zer0 brought Maya to a cozy little room and set her down. When he turned to leave Maya grabbed his hand, she muttered something but he couldn't hear so he kneeled down.

"No, don't...leave...me...mommy...I promise I won't be bad, I'll get rid of the tattoos...Mommy, I'll stop being a Siren, just don't leave me...Mommy...mommy..." Maya's voice got softer until she was silent again.

Zer0's heart broke, with his free hand he swept away some stray hairs on her face.

"You've been through alot sister. You must rest now."

Zer0 pulled his hand away slowly, this was not normal. He sighed deeply and headed back on the deck.

Axton and Salvador were waiting there anxiously. When they saw him emerge they urgently surrounded him.

"She'll be okay. She just really needs rest. That idiot, using her Phaselock like that when she's obviously hurt," Zer0's voice cracked a little, he hoped no one noticed and tried to walk away.

However he had no such luck, Axton reached for Zer0's shoulder, "Hey. She's gonna be alright. Don't worry so much."

Zer0 shrugged his hand off, "That's not the point."

Axton stood there, waiting for Zer0 to continue.

"I'm leaving you all once we get to Sanctuary."

"WHAT?!" Salvador screamed out, furious at this sudden decision.

"I can't be around you all," Zer0 croaked, "this is too much."

Axton frowned, "So what? You gonna run? You just said she's gonna be fine so you're gonna leave?"

"YEAH! You selfish ASSHOLE!" Salvador's blood was boiling.

"EXACTLY! That's exactly the point!" Zer0 yelled, for the first time in his life he yelled out of angst. "SHE'S FINE! I KNOW that! Every FUCKING medicine manual will tell you that she's fine, BUT I'M STILL WORRIED!...I'm still scared."

Zer0 took a few steps and fell back, looking at the sky. Axton and Salvador didn't know what to say, they just walked over and sat next to him. The three sat there for God knows how long until Zer0 spoke again.

"All my life, I've been able to separate emotions from work. But you people, all three of you, get to me. I don't know how, but you do. I purposely block out emotions because it hurts too much to feel, it hurts too much to kill and it just...hurts. When I saw Maya all I could think was..." Zer0 went quiet for a moment, "That's the problem. I wasn't thinking. I couldn't."

Axton replied, his gaze never leaving the sky, "You know, I hated you when I first saw you. I thought you were the most arrogant bastard ever."

"I just thought your name was stupid," Salvador chimed in.

Zer0 chuckled, "And here I thought we became best friends from the moment we met."

"Haha, I didn't know you had a sense of humor," Axton retorted.

"I didn't either. I always thought that living without worrying about emotions was great, I never felt remorse after a kill or sad when my comrades were hurt. It kept me safe from all that," Zer0 continued.

"It?" Axton questioned.

"My Cloak Tech, I installed it with a special injector that nullifies my neuroreceptors in certain regions. This way I never felt a kill, never felt pain, never felt anything so long as I had my daily dose. But it's busted now and here I am spilling my heart out to men I've only known for two days."

"Hey, it's okay to be scared. We all are at some point, it's what makes us human."

Zer0 faced Axton, "That's just the thing, I'm not human. I was made to be precise, that's it."

"And I was made to take over the family business, be a farmer, but I chose to be a gunzerking crazy man instead. I'd say it worked out for me," Salvador's comment sent Zer0 and Axton down the crazy train to Laughsville.

When Axton composed himself he stood up and stretched, "You know it's easy to run away from feelings, but it's a challenge to face them. Even more of a challenge to face them with friends."

Salvador jumped up as well, "We are a family, whether you like it or not. And more importantly, us being together is what makes life worth LIVING. Human or not."

Zer0 was overwhelmed, how many years has it been since he last felt this? What was this feeling? He couldn't quite put a finger on it.

"Come on, let's get to cooking. This could take all night," Salvador called out, "AND I'M HUNGRY!"

Zer0 smiled, so that's what it was. Love. The love that he had lost so many years ago when his mother abandoned him and left him with the monastery. He stood up and followed the guys. They were all in this for the long haul and for once, Zer0 was content. He just faced his greatest challenge, "I wonder what else is in store for me."

****Sorry about spamming you guys with chapters, it's just that I got some free time today and I was just so excited about getting the story to move along already. Drop those reviews, favorites, and follows! Ciao****


	16. Chapter 16: Please Don't Leave Me

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 16**_

_**Please Don't Leave Me**_

Maya's eyes fluttered a bit, the sun was blinding. It took her a moment to remember the events that transpired, suddenly she sat up and looked around. _Where the hell am I? There's grass everywhere, what? None of this makes sense._

She turned around to see a small hut, it looked familiar. Maya walked cautiously towards it. The door began to swing open, the person behind it made Maya stop dead in her tracks.

"Maya! Sweetie come here!" She stood there frozen in disbelief.

"Mommy? Is that you?"

"Silly girl, of course it is! Come here, I have your favorite cupcakes."

Maya tried to will her legs to move, but she couldn't. _Please don't let this be a dream. Please, don't let this be a dream._

Just to be sure she pinched herself, "Ow!"

_Shit this is for real...mom?_

Maya's mom was running at her now, "Maya why did you pinch yourself? Oh gosh you are such a handful. Does it hurt sweetie?"

Maya fell to her knees and hugged her mother tightly, "Mommy, I'm sorry. Please don't leave me again."

Her mother lifted her face up, "Why would I ever leave you honey? I love you."

"Mommy, I missed you so much. The people at the abbey were jerks and they used me and I ran away, and I...I got blown up and I...mommy!" Maya breath was ragged from crying.

Her mother patted her head softly, "Well, it was all your fault that daddy left us. That I lost my eye and that the whole village hated us."

Maya gripped tighter, slowly lifting her head again.

"Sweetie if only you weren't a Siren, then all this wouldn't have happened."

Maya was immediately gripped by fear, her mother's face started to become distorted. Her once beautiful eyes were now white and swollen, her hair became frazzled, her teeth yellowed, and her face was melting.

"Maya it's all, your fault...hahahaha..."

_No. Mommy please I'm sorry. Mommy, please no, don't leave me. Mommy._

"MOMMY!"

Maya bounced up, sweating profusely. She looked around, there was no grass, no hut, and her mother was not there. _It was a dream. _Maya sat on the bed for a moment to let her dream sink in and remembered the events of the past two day. _Hah, I'm such an idiot. Like that would ever be real. Haha, that was stupid._

Maya felt her eyes well up. _No, you are not crying. Don't you dare cry. It was your fault anyways so why are you being a baby about it? You didn't get blinded. You didn't get burned. You didn't get stoned until you could barely walk anymore, why are you crying?_ Maya tried to calm herself, but her mask was slipping and the five year old was screaming to be let out. She started trembling until she finally gave curled up into a ball and cried.

All the years of loneliness, betrayal, and heartbreak flooded out with her tears. Maya retreated back to the first night her mother left her at the abbey promising to come back, but never did. Then Brother Sophis told her that her mother had signed her over to the abbey. It was all too much for the little girl to manage so she repressed the memories. However now it was all coming back with a vengeance.

Maya cried until she was all out of tears. She then fell back on the bed, looking at the ceiling and thinking about absolutely nothing.

Zer0 was upstairs making breakfast, Salvador was still asleep, and Axton was doing morning PT outside. They were about an hour from shore so he thought a nice breakfast would kick the morning off right. He made some lovely eggs sunny side-up, pancakes, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Zer0 prepared one plate for Maya and head out, as he passed Axton he motioned that breakfast was ready.

"Cool thanks. I'll grab some when I'm done," Axton replied.

Zer0 walked down as quietly as he could so as to not wake her up. Maya hadn't eaten for a full day so he prepared some scrambled eggs for her. He turned the corner and was surprised to see that Maya was up.

"Good morning, we will be reaching shore soon," Zer0 greeted Maya while lifting the tray of food, "so I got you some breakfast. Or well, made. Probably not well, but hey I gave it a shot. And I-"

Zer0 noticed that Maya didn't seem to be listening. He walked to the side of the bed and left the food on the table next to her. He sat there for a moment, hoping she would say something, but she didn't so he got up to leave.

As Zer0 rounded the corner he her Maya speak very softly, "Thank you."

He figured that she wanted alone time so he walked upstairs. Zer0 could hear Salvador and Axton in the kitchen, "Hah these guys wouldn't last a day as assassins."

The guys ate and talked for awhile, they were so rowdy that they didn't hear Maya come up until she was standing at the entrance. t

"Good morning," they said in unison.

"Good morning," Maya replied with a smile. _That's cute._

Axton pulled out a chair for her, "Yo you like the homemade breakfast?"

"It was very tasty."

"Haha, sometimes I wonder if there's anything Stick man can't do."

"I'll take that as a thank you," Zer0 joked.

Maya agreed, "Yes I thank you kind sir for a lovely breakfast."

"I WANT MORE!" Salvador screamed.

Zer0 laughed, "I'm glad I made a lot then, eat up everyone. We're gonna have a long day."

Maya nibbled at her food, deep in thought. _I hope I get to keep these guys for a while longer..._

****So I've been busy developing the story and in that I realized I suck at action writing. So please understand if I totally skip out anything and everything that is action. Good news though, we're getting closer to Maya's future sweetie...too cheesy? Thanks for the continued support, keep up the reviews, favorites, and follows!****


	17. Chapter 17: Damsel in Distress

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 17**_

_**Damsel in Distress**_

Maya slowly made her way up to the kitchen, her body was in pain, but she was sucking it up. It warmed her a little to see the guys gleefully eating breakfast.

"Hey, lookie who's back," Axton said while pulling out a box behind his back. He tossed it onto the deck and out popped his turret.

"Impressive, when did you get her fixed?" Maya questioned, very much impressed by the turret's speedy recovery. Axton turned around, surprised to see Maya up so quickly, but glad nonetheless.

"Found some old parts in the ship's basement so I thought I'd give a hand at fixing it up," Axton proclaimed, "but this is just a base model. I'll have to make upgrades later on."

"Either way, it's very nice."

Zer0 chimed in, "Yes it is a fine piece of machinery. I also scrounged up enough supply to fix my Cloak Tech."

"YUP YUP! AND MY MUSCLES ARE BACK AT ONE HUNDRED PERCENT! Thanks to the local DOCTOR HERE!" Salvador exclaimed.

Maya took a seat next to Axton. _All of you are back up to speed, all except me. _She glanced down at her arm again, it was still hurting but not as bad. Zer0 told her that the swelling had gone down tremendously; although the bump in her head would be sticking around for a while.

Out of nowhere the boat shook, sending everything everywhere.

Claptrap's voice rang in the loudspeakers, "Ahhhh WOOPS! Sorry guys I fell asleep at the wheel!"

It took the guys a moment to compose themselves before Zer0 noticed that Maya was flat on her back. Maya was in a daze again, she smacked her head on the counter before falling and landed on her arm. _That stupid robot I'm going to kick its ASS!_

Zer0 rushed over to pull her up, "Hey are you okay? Maya?"

She wanted to respond but the pain was deafening. Maya's head felt like it was about to explode, there was a shooting pain running up and down her left arm, and her vision was getting blurry.

"She's going into shock! Damn that stupid robot, go get something for her to lay on!" Zer0 barked at Salvador, who ran off immediately.

Axton ran to the kitchen cabinet and grabbed some more bandages. The two quickly changed the bandages on her arm, chest, leg, hell half her body was covered in bandages. Maya was beat up pretty bad.

"For someone with two fractured ribs, a broken arm, and concussion, she's holding up pretty well eh?" Axton joked, he knew the situation was bad but he wanted to lighten the mood.

Zer0 glanced up at him, a glare radiating through his mask. He knew the extent of her injuries, she wasn't going to die but she needed to rest. Maya was stubborn, Zer0 knew that much. He also knew that if she were to wake up at any point, her first instinct would be to run out to fight. Zer0 took a moment to weigh his options, wait for Maya to heal and then move on or go now. He decisively pulled out a yellow Hypo, which got a confused look from Axton.

"I've never seen yellow healing Hypos before," Axton asked with a raised brow.

"That's because it isn't."

"...Then...what is it?"

"It's a sleeping Hypo, I formulated it myself. It is guaranteed to knock someone out for at least twelve hours," Zer0 replied, then chuckled. "Although with her constitution I have no damn idea how long it will take before she wakes up and kicks our asses."

Axton smirked, "I don't know about OUR asses, but I am ratting you out."

"Whatever pleases you," Zer0 said as he injected the Hypo into Maya. "I just don't want her doing anything stupid, she needs to rest."

"Should someone stay back with her?"

"Nah, this place is discreet enough that no one will be able to find it. We just have to get into Sanctuary quickly and get her healed up.

Salvador finally came back with pillows and blankets, "Here you go! Is she okay?"

Zer0 answered swiftly, "Yes but we need to get a move on. We need to get into Sanctuary and get her healed up."

"Alright then! Let's GO!"

Axton tucked Maya in, trying to get her as warm as possible on the metal floor. He kneeled down and held her face closely, "We'll be back soon."

With that the guys got up, grabbed their gear, and headed out.

- Six Hours Later -

_Agh, my head. Why does it always hurt when I wake up these days? Wait, what day is it? What happened? Will there be a time when I wake up without questioning my life?_

Maya slowly got up but felt a hand pushing her back down.

"Please rest, you are not fit to move around," she looked up and saw it was Zer0.

"Ugh, what the hell happened? Where are we?"

"Sanctuary."

Maya looked up suspiciously, "How did we get to Sanctuary so quickly? This is bullshit."

"You were hurt, so I gave you a sleeping Hypo and we came back to get you once we got into Sanctuary."

"YOU WHAT?!" Maya raged, she got up then fell back because her chest was burning.

"Please, calm down. We didn't want you to get anymore hurt than you already were."

"Whatever, fuck you."

Zer0 knew there was no talking sense into Maya when she was upset so he stood up and left. Once he got into the Crimson Raider HQ he motioned to Axton. Zer0 spoke softly, "You need to go calm her down. She's pretty pissed at me."

"Hah, I figured. I'll try to talk to her, no promises though."

Axton walked out of the headquarters to the house Maya was staying in. He also brought some soup for her to eat. When he got to the door he knocked a few times, not hearing an answer he went in anyways.

"Maya? You there Missy A-cup?"

"I'm over here," Axton turned abruptly when he heard the voice come from behind him.

Maya was sitting at the window wrapped up in blankets, her face was paler than usual. Axton felt a pang of guilt, she always put herself out there for the team even if it meant almost dying multiple times. If only he were stronger he'd be able to protect her. Axton put the thought aside and tried to be positive.

"Hey I brought you some soup. It's chicken...your favorite?" Axton asked, hoping he was right.

"Hmph, you're ridiculous. I like chicken, thanks."

Axton set down the bowl next to Maya and took a seat, "You know Zer0 was just worried. He didn't just roofie you for fun or anything."

"I know, but that's not the point."

"Okay then, what's the point?"

"Me, you guys, this team, everything." Axton stayed quiet, waiting for Maya to continue.

"We've been here how long? Three days or so? And yet for most of it I've been nothing but a damsel in distress. It's bullshit."

Axton sighed and gripped Maya's arm, squeezing gently, "Do you remember why you became the damsel in distress?... Let's recap shall we? Can't use powers, why? Because you got a rod in the arm after saving all of us. Didn't shoot as well during fights, why? Because your stupid ass lied about your inflamed AND infected arm. Knocked out in the ship, why? You Phaselocked Captain Flynt trying to save Salvador, had an anchor dropped on top of you, and later ran your head into a kitchen counter."

Maya snickered, _he may be an ass, but he knows how to make a girl smile. _

Axton's face glowed, "Now there's the smiling Maya I like to see. Seriously though, woman you were a hero long before you ever played damsel."

"You're such a smooch," Maya retorted.

"Yeah, the ladies LOVE it!"

Maya shook her head, and then reached for the soup. She took a sip and nodded, _tasty_.

"So, what happened when I was knocked out?"

Axton sat back on the couch looking up at the ceiling, "Nothing much really, we hijacked a Light Runner, massacred a Bloodshot camp, installed a new shield for Sanctuary...uhhh...OH and we tried to save some Reiss guy but he died shortly when we got ther-"

Maya spit out the soup she was drinking at the mention of the name Reiss, "PFFT! WAIT! Who did you say you tried to save?!"

"Uh, some guy named Reiss, he was a Corporal," Axton replied, puzzled by why this mattered.

"Are you sure that's his name?"

"Pretty sure."

Maya immediately set down her soup and went to the bathroom to wash up, "You said he's dead, who is his superior? I want to talk to him."

Axton was bewildered by what was going on so it took him a moment to answer her, "Well...um, his superior is Roland and Roland was captured..."

Maya stopped dead in her tracks, turning around with a menacing look on her face, "He was what?"

"Captured...by someone named Firehawk or whatever."

She stepped up to Axton's face and said, "Well then I guess we're gonna go save him. Aren't we?"

Axton was worried about Maya's new disposition, it was deadlier than usual. He sighed and decided to put his life on the line, "Why are you so antsy to get him?"

_Why? Because that damn Reiss was the asshole that sent Kyle to his death! Because I want to know what happened! I want to know who killed Kyle, where I can find them, and how slowly I'm allowed to let them die! Because I can't sleep a wink without remembering Kyle's innocent face dripping with blood as he smiles at me saying that he'll be stronger. WHY?! BECAUSE I NEED SOME FUCKING CLOSURE! I NEED TO KNOWTHAT KYLE WASN'T IN PAIN WHEN HE DIED!_

Maya's arm began burning again, she needed to control her anger better or something very bad was going to happen. She took a few deep breaths, then replied meekly, "Because I need to."

****Hope you guys are still enjoying the story! I cut out the getting to Sanctuary part because, let's be honest, ain't nobody got time for that! Please keep up those reviews, it's been nice reading what people have to say****


	18. Chapter 18: Family is Forever

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 18**_

_**Family is Forever**_

Axton knew that he was going to risk a beating, but he walked over to Maya and pulled her into his arms.

"I don't know why finding this Roland guy matters so much to you and take my word for it that we will all help you find him, but for now I'm begging you to please rest. We're all tired from the past couple days and you are absolutely no exception."

Maya leaned back into Axton for a moment, then she turned around and burrowed her face into his chest. She thought of her mom abandoning her, Kyle being taken away from her, and the abbey using her. Any time she allowed herself to be vulnerable, something came back to bite her in the ass.

_I loved my mom, but she left me to the abbey men. I thought the abbey men were my family but they took Kyle from me. I cared dearly for Kyle and he ended up dying for me. I'm nothing but bad news. Axton, please hate me, please don't be so nice, please don't care for me, because if you do I won't want to let go._

Maya didn't know what to do, she didn't want to let go of Axton, but she was afraid to keep him around. These guys were like the family she never had. Bickering about ridiculous things, teasing each other to no end, and comforting each other when times got tough. It was everything and more than Maya could have ever wanted. But she was scared.

Nothing in her past could give her a reason to even consider trusting these guys, no matter what they did for her. Maya was too broken to be repaired and she knew that. She knew that very well.

"Fine, just leave me alone," Maya spoke softly. She let go of Axton and walked upstairs, not saying another word or even glancing in his direction.

Axton watched her walk up and when he was sure that she was in her room again, he left. His ECHO device indicated that it was currently 1235, the guys planned to head out at 1700 so that they would have time to eat and fix themselves up. Axton lifted his head and drew in a long breath, it was nice to breath without getting shot at.

Meanwhile, in the Crimson Raiders Headquarters Zer0 was speaking with Tannis about his Cloak Tech. He found her very fascinating, her knowledge was almost as boundless as her social anxiety. The first time they met Zer0 extended his hand to her and Tannis slapped it away, ran to a locker, and locked herself in there for the next half hour. Zer0 stayed there, trying to coo her out like an owner does to a new puppy, it was a funny experience for him.

Once Tannis finally got out she wouldn't speak for another half hour, luckily for them her stomach did the talking. Well, more like the grumbling. Zer0 couldn't catch himself in time and he let out a loud laugh. Without a word he left the room, leaving Tannis sitting on the ground dumbstruck. She didn't know what to do, who this mysterious alien was, she knew he wasn't human, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Hahh, I'm glad he finally left. Oh goodness, this delay in my studies will take an hour to make up for. Darn my inability to converse with others without feeling the need to throw up, bad enough I did that with Roland. Oh Roland, poor thing. Anyways time to get back to work, okay so the key was found here...but then we brought it there...hmmm this is strange, aghhh that's not right though because the vault couldn't possibly be there," Tannis was rambling as per usual and did not notice when Zer0 came back.

"Care for some pizza?" Tannis jumped off her seat when she heard Zer0's voice. "Your stomach seems hungry, so I brought some of Moxxi's over. I hope you don't mind."

Tannis didn't reply, she merely stared at him then at the pizza. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two.

Zer0 smiled, "A hungry stomach / Is a hindrance to great minds / Eat, oh friend of mine."

It took Tannis a few moments to process the haiku, she was taken aback, he called her a friend. Her heart skipped a few beats as she stared at him, Tannis had never met an alien from his race before since they were believed to be nearly extinct after the public persecution of their kind.

She eventually broke out of her daze when her stomach growled again. Hesitantly, Tannis reached over and grabbed a slice. She chewed slowly, glancing at Zer0 from time to time wondering if he was going to eat. As if Zer0 could read her mind he stood up and excused himself, "I'm sorry that I can't join you but I have to get working on my Cloak Tech. I hope you don't mind me snooping around headquarters for parts."

Upon hearing the words 'Cloak Tech' Tannis choked on her pizza trying to talk, "You...have...a Cloak Tech?"

Zer0 mused at the genius' klutziness, "Yes I do. I made it myself. It got damaged when we got blown up in the train."

"May I have a look?"

"Uhhhh, sure," Zer0 replied with a hint of worry in his voice.

Tannis wiped her hand and looked at the wrist attachment, it was a very intricate instrument. She flipped it over, turned it around, and essentially devoured it with her eyes, enchanted by the beautiful machinery in front of her.

When she finally got an eyeful Tannis turned to Zer0 and asked, "May I help you fix it? This Cloak Tech is absolute brilliance."

Zer0 raised a brow, the woman who earlier slapped his hand away and hid in a locker was now offering to fix up his Cloak Tech, life really did throw curveballs at you. He walked closer to her and grabbed his CT, "I would be honored to have help from an intelligent woman such as yourself."

Tannis felt her face get red and she faced away quickly, hoping he didn't notice. She reached over for her water and took a sip, letting her nerves take a moment to relax. When she finally felt calmer Tannis turned around and walked back to Zer0, "Well let's get started shall we?"

This was the start of a very strange friendship.

Tannis and Zer0 were so absorbed in their conversation that they didn't notice Axton sneak by and walk upstairs. Salvador was napping on the chair next to Axton's turret, the two had been working on the machine since they got to Sanctuary and it was coming along very well. They scrounged enough material to max out the turret's duration and burst capabilities. Axton was more than antsy to see what his baby could do now.

After examining their handiwork for a few minutes Axton turned to Salvador and gently nudged him, "Hey Salv, wake up."

"Doh, hm? What the? Oh hey, what's up?" Salvador took a few seconds to clear his mind. "How's the turret looking?"

"Better than two days ago, so quite the improvement."

"That's good, how about Maya?"

"I told her to rest a little longer since we're not leaving until 1700."

Salvador looked up at Axton with an exasperated look on his face, "Why must you insist we use military time for everything? How hard is it to say 5PM or 5 o'clock."

"It's better to have a universal standard than a shit ton of different ones, also we call it military time but it is actually what is recognized universally everywhere else you know," Axton quipped.

"Whatever, I'm heading out for a smoke. Wanna come?"

"Sure, why not."

The guys stepped out to the balcony, Salvador lit up his cigarette and looked out at the sky. It was midday so the sun was beating down on the two, Salvador liked the warmth of the sun because it reminded him of his youth.

When he was younger he loved to take naps in the middle of the day when possible, it wasn't that he got tired or anything it was just a ritual he enjoyed. The feeling of laying on the soft grass with the sun draping his skin with its warm rays. It was a much simpler time back then.

"The sun is nice today," Axton commented.

Salvador grinned, "It is nice every day. You just have to take a step back and look."

****Hey guys! Sorry for not posting yesterday, writer's block. Anywho keep up the reviews, favorites, and follows! I'm so happy that everyone is still keeping up with my work even when I'm off for a day.****

**Fun Facts:**

**1) I don't mean to promote smoking, it just so happens that most the military men or men I know in general do.**

**2) I am planning to make a Zer0/Tannis sub-story...if y'alls couldn't already tell. What do you think?**

**3) Spoiler for next chapter-ish - Guess whose room Maya is living in ;D**


	19. Chapter 19: Wrinkled Paper

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 19**_

_**Wrinkled Paper**_

The sun was creeping through the slits of the windows in Maya's room. She was grateful that even though the Crimson Raiders were tough, they didn't skimp on the smaller luxuries of life. Her bed was so soft that she felt her body melt into the mattress, the room was dingy but didn't stink, not to mention the air conditioning was absolute bliss. On any other occasion she would not want to get out of bed, but at the moment her mind was too cluttered to enjoy her surroundings.

Maya laid her arm on top of her eyes, she tried to rest but it was impossible. How could she rest when all she could think of was Kyle? Since the day she received the ECHO recorder from the Crimson Lance she wanted answers. Maya wanted to who killed Kyle and did he go peacefully. She doesn't know if she would even like the answer, but she needed to know.

Life is like a piece of paper. Every time you are hurt, it is like the perpetrator scrunched up a small part of that paper and as the days go by the hurt adds on and on and on. Until one day you are just a tiny ball of crumpled paper on the ground. Trampled by the feet that pass by, unnoticed.

Yet somehow, someday there will be that person that sees the paper and picks it up. Then they gently begin to flatten it out, healing the old wounds left by those that came before. This process can take a day or a decade, but at the end you have that old flat piece of paper again. Kyle was Maya's savior, he picked up the ravaged remains of her heart and fixed it. With that childish innocence he restored the little faith she had left in humanity.

However even the most loving hands can't fix the wrinkles left on the page. Kyle saved Maya from decaying, but he came by too late to save her from the memories. Each etched into her mind like someone took an pick and carved it into stone. Maya was afraid of everything, she was afraid of failing, of losing, of dying, but most of all she was afraid of loving. Not the paternal love that she felt for Kyle or Axton or Zer0 or even Salvador. No, she was afraid of falling in love.

If caring for family already hurt this much, what would she do if the person she loved ever got hurt? When she saw Captain Flynt almost pulverize Salvador she was able to Phaselock him, not because her powers were back, but rather her rage overpowered the pain. The thought of Salvador getting hurt was enough to send her over the edge, imagine what would happen if it were anything more.

_Shit I'm such a girl, can't go two damn minutes without overthinking everything! I wish I could do what guys do, I wish I could have the ability to stare into space and genuinely think about AB-SO-LUTE-LY nothing. Which reminds me, this place is not really furnished. Must be a guy's place, needs the touch of a woman in here._

Maya got up and looked around, she didn't pay much attention to the room before but it was quite tidy. She didn't know whose place this was but it was definitely lived in. There was a toothbrush, comb, and towels in there. She threw her feet over the side of the bed to get out, but she missed and hit the bedside table.

"OW! Crap that hurt!" Maya screamed out as she clenched her right ankle. When the pain subsided she noticed that she accidentally knocked over a picture. She reached down to pick it up, there was a picture of a man and a woman. The man was wearing a beret, along with a commando outfit similar to what Axton wore, he was standing next to a woman with red hair.

Maya gingerly picked up the picture to examine the damage, the frame had a crack on the side, the glass was shattered, and the picture itself had a small tear. She felt a pang of guilt and promised to herself that she would apologize to the owner. As she set down what's left of the image something caught her eye, the redhead had markings on her body. Maya quickly pulled the picture back up to get a closer look.

_Holy shit, that woman is a Siren! Oh crap! She might know something about me! _Maya's face lit up as she thought of this mysterious woman who might finally be able to answer the questions she's lived with all her life. She kept staring at the photo, as if the picture itself would start talking to her.

_Hm, I'm guessing those two are dating. Judging by her clinging to his arm, he's awkward and she's clingy...funny. So this must be his room, to be expected from a military man. Bland and clean, although he is the total opposite of Axton._

Maya sighed and set the picture down. She cleaned up the mess she made and went downstairs. Her ECHO device indicated that it was currently 1530, suddenly her stomach growled and she frowned. _Oh God, I barely wake up and you want to eat? Ugh, fine. _She fixed up her hair, smoothed her clothes and headed out.

By this time the sun wasn't as strong, Maya had no clue where she was or where to even go for food. Then it hit her that she could just call up the guys. Maya searched through her ECHO device and sent out a mass call to the boys.

"Hey, any of you boys hungry?"

"Hungry? I'M STARVING!" Salvador's voice roared through the frequency.

"YO! I'm standing right here! Do you need to scream like that?" Axton complained.

"You both are such kids," Maya responded, she waited for a while but didn't hear Zer0, "hey Zer0 do you wanna come with us?"

It took a few moments before she got a reply, "Oh, hi I'm sorry was busy talking with Tannis. Yes that sounds good. Where were you thinking?"

Maya chuckled, "Well considering I only just barely stepped out of this house I don't know what's around here really."

"Oh right, I'm sorry. I forgot about that," Zer0 paused for minute, "how about Moxxi's pizza? Seems like the only place to grab a bite but it works."

Axton groaned, "That again? We always eat there! Fine, fine. But after we fix this place up we're hiring a chef that cooks real food, like burgers and shit."

"Or you could learn how to cook," Maya joked, "either way let's just go eat."

Maya ended the call and started walking, just to realize that she didn't even know where Moxxi's pizza place was. _Haha, I guess that's what happens when I let my stomach do the talking._

Maya didn't want to call up the guys and face a teasing bash so she figured she could just ask for directions as she went along. People in Sanctuary were quite strange, every other house she would see someone banging at a window or just leaning against the wall doing nothing.

As she passed one guy he whispered very loudly, "Oh look it's a vault hunter. Shhh don't make eye contact." She didn't know whether she should be offended or feel sorry for his inability to whisper.

After a minute or so she saw a blonde woman standing around, Maya thought she looked harmless so she walked over.

"Hi, can I get direction to Moxxi's please?"

"Holy skagsnakcs! A Vault Hunter! Can I have your autograph?."

"Uhhhh, I just need directions to Moxxi's please."

"Oh man. You. Are. The Coolest."

Maya was getting a little creeped out at this point as she slowly started backing off, "Yeah thanks for the help I'm just gonna..."

"I used to be a Vault Hunter like you, until I took a bullet to the knee."

"I see that's quite...wait what?" Maya questioned. "A bullet? One bullet? To the knee. And that stopped you...WHAT THE FUCK HOE! I've been a Vault Hunter for three days and in that time alone I've had a rod sticking out my arm, shot all over like swiss FUCKING cheese, crushed by a ship's anchor, and bashed my head open on a kitchen counter. And YOU took a shot to the knee? What. The. Fuck!"

"WOAH THERE LITTLE LADY! You're so loud I heard you from the restaurant!" Maya turned to see Salvador waving at her.

She quickly ran over to him and followed him through a bunch of turns until they hit Moxxi's place.

"So...why were you so angry?" Salvador asked, trying to sound casual.

Maya scoffed, "It was nothing, just this stupid bitch claiming that she used to be a Vault Hunter yet one little bullet to the knee took her down. Bullshit man, bullshit."

"HAHAHA! That is funny! Who would ever think consider themselves an adventurer and not be able to take one shot?"

"That's what I said! Whatever, people are weird. It's almost as if they are paid to say stupid things around here."

The two walked into the bar and saw Axton stand up to wave them over.

****It's super late where I am but I wanted to get this out to you guys before I go to bed. As always, thanks for the support, keep up those reviews, favorites and follows****

**Random Brain EXPLOSIOOOOON: **

**1) The dialogue between Maya and the random girl is actually in the game, with a hint of Skyrim easter egg.**

**2) Maya's reaction is exactly how I reacted when I first heard the "arrow to the knee" line in Skyrim**

**3) Someone brought up that Pandora has a 90 hour span, I genuinely didn't know that and thanks for pointing it out. However I never lived in a world where a day was 90 hours long so I'd probably suck at trying to make a coherent story about it. So I hope y'all don't mind that I'm just going to go with a regular 24 hour day span for the purpose of this story!**

**4) I am trying the whole 'Random' talk thing out so I might be able to end on a fun note and might talk about the reviews or just random stuff, do y'alls like it? Or do you find it tedious? Please be honest, I only want to make this an enjoyable experience for you all!**


	20. Chapter 20: The Name is Moxxi

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 20**_

_**The Name is Moxxi**_

Maya took a seat next to Axton, she saw that he and Zer0 were still engrossed in their conversation so she let them be. She looked around the bar and smiled. Maya liked the ambience, the dark red lights, the jukebox playing in the background, the bar smack dab in the middle of everything. Although the slot machines felt a little out of place, either way it didn't matter she was just antsy to get some food.

"Yo! You staring off into space again?" Maya snapped her head to Axton who had a beer in his hand.

"Haha, shut up. This is a cute little place, I like it," Maya replied.

The guys nodded in agreement then went back into their conversation. Maya didn't pay attention because her mind was still running with thoughts. Like who was this Roland guy, when were they leaving, when was the food coming, the day-to-day important hero business.

_Okay I'm thinking out my ass now. Ughhhh, so hungry!_

Suddenly Maya stood up and got out of the booth, "Hey guys I'm gonna go wash my hands. Where's the bathroom?"

Zer0 was first to reply, "I did not see one when entering the establishment. However, you can ask the barista over there."

Maya nodded and walked over to the bar, "Hi can you point me to the bathroom please?"

The barista was busy with some other customers so Maya took a seat at the bar and waited. After a minute or two the barista finished with the other customers and saw Maya.

"Why hello there sugar, I'm sorry were you waiting long?"

"Oh, no it's fine. I was just wondering where the bathroom was."

The barista walked over and leaned over the counter, her shirt was very low cut and Maya swore she could see the lady's bra.

"I see. Well I'm sorry but we don't have a public bathroom," the barista replied, "however you seem like a sweet gal. How about I let you use my personal bathroom upstairs?"

"That would be great. I just need to wash my hands if you don't mind."

"Why. Not at all. The name is Moxxi by the way."

Maya's eyes widened, she just realized that this woman owned the bar.

"Oh wow, you're the owner. I'm sorry I didn't know. Anyways, my name is Maya. It's nice to meet you," Maya said while extending her arm out for a handshake.

Moxxi took her hand and gave it a soft squeeze, pulling Maya in as she said, "Oh please dear. The pleasure is all mine."

Maya was taken back a little, _she's very friendly._

"Hammerlock sweetie, do you mind watching the bar for a while?" Moxxi asked Sir Hammerlock, it was now that Maya noticed him standing in the corner.

"I most assuredly can milady," Sir Hammerlock replied as he tipped his hat.

Moxxi then slid over the bar, came up to Maya, grabbed her hand, and they walked out. _Okay I know I asked to use the bathroom but does she need to baby me like this?_

Once they got outside Moxxi made a sharp turn, she let go of Maya's hand and reached for her keys to unlock the door. The door swung open and Moxxi curtsied to Maya, "Welcome to my castle princess."

Maya nodded back and entered, "So where is your bathroom?"

Moxxi closed the door, locking it behind them, "It's right upstairs sugar. Help yourself. I need to change so please take your time."

"I see. Thanks again for inviting me into your home," Maya replied.

Maya jogged upstairs, she was antsy to get back to the guys because she was getting really hungry. When she got up to Moxxi's bedroom she was stunned by the decor, everywhere were just pictures of Moxxi in various positions with barely any clothes on.

_Wow she is definitely confident about her body. This...is awkward. Better wash my hands and bounce._

She made her way to the bathroom and quickly washed her hands. Maya also splashed some water on her face to counteract the hot weather. When Maya turned to leave she stopped dead in her tracks, right in front of her was Moxxi wearing very see-through lingerie.

"You done dear?"

"Uh, yeah. Heh. I'm done, thanks. I'm just gonna go back to my friends now," Maya stammered, "they are probably eating already."

Maya quickly passed Moxxi, but as she was about to head down the stairs she felt a hand grab her forearm. Her injury did not fully heal yet so Maya felt a shooting pain as the hand squeezed down. She went numb for a second then opened her eyes to see Moxxi right on top of her. Somehow in that moment of weakness Moxxi managed to pull her onto a chair and straddle her.

Maya's eyes were completely wide and she swallowed loudly, "Hah...Hah...Hey I really need to get back to my friends." She tried to get up but was immediately pushed back down.

"Oh no you don't sugar. You are not going anywhere. I have some special plans for you, but don't worry what I have planned for you shouldn't take more than a few minutes," Moxxi said as she lifted Maya's face up to her, "I know what I'm doing."

_Oh crap, what's she gonna do? Is she gonna torture me? Is she working for Handsome Jack? _

Maya was totally lost as to what was going on, but she was determined not to let it show. She fought off the blinding pain in her arm and spoke out with steadfastness, "What do you want?"

Moxxi smiled, "You."

"Let me guess, you're working for Handsome Jack aren't you? Well you can tell him to go to hell because even though I've never hit a woman before doesn't mean I won't! So I suggest you let me go or I will make you regret it!" Maya spoke with as much conviction as she could muster, but the pain was making her a little delirious. Moxxi's knee was on top of her arm and it really hurt which worried her. Not to mention she had never fought a woman before, none of the bandits were women and she never had a reason to fight women in the past.

Moxxi stared into Maya's eyes for a moment and looked down, she started shaking uncontrollably.

Maya felt a twinge of guilt, _crap I didn't mean to make her cry. Man now I feel bad. But wait, why should I feel bad? She's the one trying to kidnap me and send me to Handsome Jack! Ughhh please stop crying._

"Hey...Moxxi? Look I didn't mean to make you cry, I'm sorry. But seriously you're the one that's trying to capture me. You should know better than to fuck with a Siren," Maya spoke softly trying to console Moxxi.

Suddenly Moxxi fell back clutching her stomach and laughing hysterically, "OH MY GOD! AHAHAHA YOU THINK I WORK FOR HANDSOME JACK! AHAHAHA Are you fucking KIDDING me?!"

Maya frowned, "What? If you aren't working for Handsome Jack then what did you have planned for me? Hey, I'm talking to you. STOP LAUGHING DAMMIT!"

Moxxi continued to laugh for another few seconds before she got up and composed herself. She walked over to her bed and sat down, "Well I was actually planning to fuck a Siren, since Lilith never put out, but you sure know how to kill a woman's mood. I guess you Siren girls are two peas from the same pod."

Maya was shocked, "Wait...what? You were trying to...what?"

"Do I have to repeat myself? I was trying to seduce you."

"Umm, I see. That's...uh...well I just...sorry. I didn't mean to threaten you I just really thought you were working for Handsome Jack."

"Haha, it's alright. I had a good laugh anyways."

Maya raced through her mind to find something to say when fortunately for her Axton came up in her ECHO device, "YO! Maya the pizza is here, hurry back. Salvador already ate half of one pizza...and there goes the other half...yeah you should get back quickly."

_For once I'm so glad to hear your voice man._

"Um, I'm sorry but I need to get back. Apparently the pizza is done. Thanks for letting me use the bathroom. I'll see you around," Maya did her best to sound casual but it was quite difficult given what just happened.

Then in a motion that was too fast for Maya to see, Moxxi pressed up her up against a wall and whispered in her ear, "I'll let you go this time, but remember. I always get what I want."

Moxxi lingered for a second, then let go. Maya quickly ran downstairs, out the door, and headed back to Moxxi's bar.

_Okay...that was weird. Uhhhh, what am I supposed to even think? Damn I need to be more careful around her, she almost got my first kiss. Then again it's pretty stupid that I'm twenty-seven and haven't had my first kiss yet. Wow this is really lame. Hm is it getting hotter? Whatever, pizza HERE I COME!_

Luckily Axton ordered three pizzas because by the time Maya got back Salvador was finishing up his second pizza while Zer0 and Axton were working on the last pizza.

"Hey! About time you got back, here I saved you three slices," Axton said while covering his mouth.

"Thanks bro."

Maya sat down and ate her pieces. The pizza was actually quite tasty, she wondered if it was because the pizza was actually good or it was good because she was hungry. Either way it didn't matter. The team finished up their food, wrapped up their conversations, and headed back to the Crimson Raider headquarters to get ready for the mission at hand.

****Considering how open to love Moxxi is I just thought this would be a funny story to throw in, also I'm NEVER planning to do anything too sexual with this story. I'm not good at it so I apologize in advance if that's what you were hoping for. But as always, review, favorite, and follow****

**Random Brain EXPLOSIOOOOON:**

**1) I've decided to make Maya VERY innocent. I figured that since she grew up in an abbey and was kinda separated from everyone she didn't really get to grow up with natural interactions with others.**

**2) I'm most likely never going to add anything too sexual, as in descriptive sex scenes, mainly because I don't think I'd be good at them. So if y'alls were hoping for that I will have to apologize in advance. This story is rated 'T.' I'll probably do what TV shows do and imply it happened but never go into detail. Sorry...**

**3) Spoiler- In the Mister Torgue DLC you actually find out that Moxxi has been with women before so I thought I'd throw that in for fun.**


	21. Chapter 21: Meet Firehawk

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 21**_

_**Meet Firehawk**_

"Okay so this Firehawk sent us a message to find him or people will die. I say we go there, get him, smack him around for info, then leave him choking in a pool of his own blood," Axton said matter-of-factly, Maya smiled at how mischievous he always was.

Zer0 shook his head disapprovingly, "You do realize that this Firehawk is one of the most dangerous bounty hunters out there right?"

"SO?! WE'LL JUST CHARGE IN AND KICK HIS ASS!" Salvador screamed.

"I'm fine with that. Let's bounce," Maya agreed as she grabbed her weapon and turned to leave.

Zer0 was in disbelief, he was in a team of idiotic rambos who didn't even have enough attention span to think about the consequences of their actions for more than a second.

"You're all idiots," Zer0 said exasperated.

Maya sneered at him, "But we're your idiots."

"We're going to die aren't we?"

"It's always a possibility."

Zer0 sighed, "I give up. Let's go."

"WOOOOOH! LET'S GO KILL US SOME BANDITS!" Salvador wailed while running to Sanctuary's exit.

Once they got outside Zer0 and Salvador went in one Light Runner while Axton and Maya got into another. It took them better part of an hour to get to Frostburn Canyon since they ran into some bandit camps along the way.

Immediately upon entering the canyon Angel appeared on their ECHO device again and warned them, "The Firehawk should around here somewhere. Stay alert."

"Okay, so we know that bastard is somewhere here. We gotta hurry up and get there. Form up and let's g-," Axton abruptly stopped and gestured to the team, "wait, get down! There are some Bloodshots up there. Hmm, Angel says they are attacking Firehawk...interesting."

Zer0 stood up and cocked his gun, "If that's the case then we should get going. They will lead us straight to Firehawk."

"LET'S GO!" Salvador was already way ahead of the team, Maya shook her head and smiled.

_This guy is never going to learn is he? Our own little Leroy Jenkins._

They charged in, sticking to the usual plan, but since Axton had his turret and Zer0 had his CT again they were kicking ass even faster than before. Maya's arm was healed but her Phaselock was still weak. It would still take a long time to train herself back to her original abilities.

After half an hour of intense battle they finally get to the cave leading Firehawk's lair. The place was booby trapped everywhere, but luckily they noticed the traps before they got hit. As they approached the center of the cave they heard gunshots echoing in the cave, Maya made a quick dash forward to see what was going on.

As Maya got closer she felt a strange energy radiating from the center platform, she slowed down to wait for the others. They all stepped cautiously forward and noticed there were two bandits in the middle shooting at a smaller figure. Salvador ran forward to try and shoot them but before he could a blinding light stopped him dead in his tracks.

Maya covered her eyes but peeked over her arm just enough to a person with wings land in the middle of the platform, completely incinerating the two bandits. She watched as the stranger stood up slowly, blue tattoos shining brightly. _It's...a Siren._

"Sup," Maya heard the woman, but stood there dumbstruck. _She wiped them out before I could even blink. Wow._

Maya stared intently, she couldn't peel her eyes off this woman.

_Who are you? Why can't I stop looking at you? Your eyes, oh God those eyes. _

The bright hazel eyes from this mystery woman were being burned into Maya's memory. Maya didn't understand any of this, her heart was beating at a hundred miles an hour.

_What the hell is going on?_

All of a sudden the mystery woman started to fall over, without thinking Maya lunged forward and caught her. As soon as Maya's hand made contact with the woman's skin she felt a burning sensation. Not the burning from being shot or from her injury, this was different...pleasantly different. Maya's heart started racing even faster.

_Oh God what is going on? Ask her if she's okay, ask her if she needs a hypo, oh please dammit say SOMETHING! Don't just stare at her like an idiot. Just say something, anything._

"Um, hi, " Maya said softly.

_Hi?! Really? Hi?! That's all you could get out? She is out of breath in your arms, clearly in pain and all you can muster out is hi? No, are you okay? Do you need a hypo? Oh you are such an idiot._

The woman in her arms was breathing heavily, but managed to smile and look up at her, "Howyadoin'. The bandits call me the Firehawk, but the name's Lilith. I'm with the Raiders, like you."

_Woah, shit. She's the Firehawk? The bounty hunter that everyone is so afraid of? That's crazy! Although after seeing that display I can see why they'd be afraid of her. Wow, that's amazing. Lilith...hm, that's a beautiful name._

"I see. Your identity has been hidden very well then Lilith," Zer0 said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Yeah I really don't give a rats ass about hiding my identity, it's just a stupid name they gave me."

Axton chimed in, "And here I thought you were just very cocky. I was starting to like you."

"Haha, I'm not cocky. I'm just good."

"WELL?! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! GET UP AND LET'S GO!" Salvador screamed as he heard some more bandits entering the cave.

"Yeah of course," Lilith replied as she turned to Maya. "Um, thanks for the assist but I'm okay now. Could you help me up?"

It was now that Maya realized she was still holding onto Lilith. Embarrassed she let go and jumped up, accidentally kneeing Lilith in the process.

"OW!" Lilith cried out in pain.

_OH CRAP! Fuck me, what the hell is wrong with you? You just smacked her in the face. Jeez I'm such a clutz today!_

Maya quickly kneeled down and cupped Lilith's face, "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry are you okay?"

She regretted this immediately because as she looked at Lilith's face she felt her own getting beet red. Maya felt so childish right now, she was acting like a little school girl.

"Agh, yeah I'm fine. Just...please be careful," Lilith replied softly.

Maya grasped Lilith's hand and slowly pulled her up. She put an arm out just in case Lilith lost balance.

This was a wise decision because when Lilith went to stand up properly, she felt straight back into Maya again.

_Oh God this is torture._

"Oof. I need a pick-me-up. Get me some Eridium, will ya? I should have some in one of my strong boxes."

Zer0 started walking over to a strong box, "Maya you hold onto Lilith, I'll go grab a nugget."

_What?! Why me? This is so awkward, she's breathing really heavy, I can feel her chest on mine. Oh my God please hurry Zer0!_

In what felt like an eternity Zer0 came finally back with some Eridium and handed it to Lilith. Now Maya finally let go and backed away as far as she possibly could. She didn't know what was going on but she didn't like it. Whenever she was near Lilith her heart would start racing and her mind would get fuzzy.

_Is this what happens when Sirens get too close to each other? Dammit that must mean she's feeling the same thing too. I better stay away from her so we don't interfere with each other's abilities._

Maya stood from afar as she watched Zer0 hand Lilith the Eridium nugget. Lilith started to glow purple and Maya saw her scars heal instantaneously. She didn't know what Eridium did to Siren powers, but it was cool to watch.

_Gotta ask her to teach me that sometime._

Lilith allowed a few seconds for the Eridium to take full effect before she stood up again, "Ahh. Thanks. Bet you're looking for Roland, huh? He's not here - the Bloodshots grabbed him. Made 'em cocky too; they never came after me this hard."

Out of nowhere some bandits popped out from the north side of the platform and in the blink of an eye Lilith was gone. Maya was in awe, she scoured the platform for Lilith and turned her head just in time to see Lilith reappear and blast all the enemies around her into pieces.

"Look out! Psychos!" Lilith screamed out while running towards Maya.

Maya turned to see three Psychos running at her, she headshot two and Phaselocked the last one. As she reloaded Lilith reappeared and decimated the last bandit. Maya was very impressed.

The team finished off the rest of the Psychos and regrouped in the middle. Maya noticed Lilith looking weak again so she tapped her on the shoulder and asked, "Hey how you feeling?"

"Well. That was fun. Feeling tapped out though - could ya get me another hunk of Eridium?" Lilith replied out of breath.

Maya swiftly walked over to a strong box and picked up an Eridium nugget. Upon touching the nugget Maya felt her powers jumping around, as if there was a ball of energy bouncing around inside her.

_Agh, whatever this Eridium stuff does, is not good. Shit this is weird._

She handed the Eridium to Lilith and frowned, _how in the hell is she using this stuff? I can barely touch the stuff without feeling like there is a bouncy ball going up and down my arm._

Lilith absorbed the Eridium and took a moment to catch her breath. When her breathing became steady again she turned to Maya, "Ahhhh. Yeah - since the Vault opened, my Siren powers have been getting a little...awesome. Thanks to this Eridium stuff. No idea why. Now, let's talk about rescuing my boyfriend."

In that instant something in Maya broke, she couldn't breath and her heart felt as if someone was holding onto it and squeezing tightly. This was the most uncomfortable feeling Maya had ever endured in her life. Every bullet wound, burn mark, and broken bone didn't hold a candle to the pain she was feeling right now.

_Boyfriend? She has a boyfriend? Wait, why do I care that she has a boyfriend? Who she dates is none of my damn business. But...seriously?_

****Cliffhanger!... Okay not really. So yeah, obviously Maya is just being affected by Lilith's powers being so close to her and them being Sirens. Did that make sense? No? Didn't think so :P Sorry for making y'alls wait so long for the big reveal! Anywho, drop those reviews to tell me what you thought of this chapter and keep on reading!****

**Random Brain EXPLOSIOOOOON:**

**1) I actually wrote more than this but I saw that it was getting much too long and cut it off... Yeah I want them together THAT bad!**

**2) My favorite coupling of all time for Borderlands 2 right here, seriously if you don't agree with me. Go to YouTube and look up a video where Maya and Lilith fight together... how can you tell me they aren't meant for each other?**

**3) For those thinking there would be a Moxxi/Maya pairing, sorry for the scare xD No way was I going to do that.**

**4) SPECIAL NEWS! I just hit over 1,000 visitors. I know that may seem small to some of you but I'm really grateful for all the support people have shown. Especially to those that have stuck with me since day one. You've been really patient and I hope you will continue to enjoy my stories!**


	22. Chapter 22: Nervous Wreck

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 22**_

_**Nervous Wreck**_

Maya couldn't explain why she was feeling so down but she just was. The news that Lilith had a boyfriend hit her like being dunked into a tub of ice water. Maya was lost as to why this would even matter to her that a woman she just met is in a relationship.

It took Maya a few seconds before she found her voice and asked softly, "Your boyfriend? You mean Roland?"

At this comment Lilith sighed, "Well... ex-boyfriend."

Maya let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

_Ex-boyfriend...okay. Wait why am I relieved? I should feel bad that they broke up, but hey it's probably his fault right? Ughhh, my heart to burning up I need to get away from her. That Eridium stuff is probably getting to my head._

"Yeah, definitely," Maya said as she backed away, trying to avoid eye contact or any contact with Lilith at all, "we just need to get to the Bloodshots and take them out. Easy."

Lilith smiled, "I'm glad you think so too. I gotta head back to Sanctuary, keep the city in one piece while Roland's away. But first, I'm gonna teleport you into the Bloodshot Stronghold-"

Maya's eyes wandered back to Lilith again, she saw Lilith's lips moving but heard so sound. Something about this woman was getting to her, she couldn't quite put a finger on it, but she knew it was there.

Maya stared into Lilith's bright red lips that made roses look pale in comparison, then her eyes wandered down Lilith's neck to her chest which was emblazoned with blue Siren tattoos. She wondered what the patterns looked like underneath Lilith's clothing. Maya continued down to Lilith's long, toned legs and then made her way back up again, taking a mental image of every little detail.

She was so absorbed in this that she didn't notice Axton grinning from ear to ear. He knew exactly what was going on. Even though Axton didn't know that Maya swung that way, he had to admit that she had good taste. Lilith was a very pretty girl and by the look of it, Maya would agree.

Axton spoke under breath as he continued to search for ammo, "Haha that Maya is practically undressing the poor girl with her eyes. Jeez, I gotta teach her to be more discreet. Although I have to admit this is kinda funny."

Unfortunately for Maya, Axton wasn't the only one to notice. Zer0 also saw Maya's wandering eyes as he smiled with amusement. It was interesting how bad Maya was at being tactful to her actions. However what he found even more entertaining was that Lilith didn't seem to realize it either.

Zer0 crossed his arms and muttered, "Young lover doth lust / Eyes betray the soul's intent / But both unaware." He saw the look of fascination and confusion that draped Maya's face, with his uncanny detective abilities Zer0 deduced that she was probably blind to her own feelings. Thus he decided to let Maya take her own time to discern it on her own before he intervened.

"HEY! Can we go already? MAYA STOP GAWKING AT HER BOOBS AND LET'S GO!" Zer0 face-palmed, Salvador's blunt personality was not helping.

Maya snapped out of her daze and looked away, she felt her face burning red.

It took a few breaths before Maya could calm herself down and she turned to Salvador, "I was not gawking at anything. I was listening to her talk asshole."

"REALLY?!" Salvador challenged, "So THIS isn't gawking?"

Salvador tilted his head and dropped his jaw, his eyes were slowly going up and down an imaginary body. Maya's eyes widened with anger as she stepped forward to Phaselock him, luckily Axton jumped in just in time. He grabbed Salvador by the neck and pulled him away.

"Well now! You two are such jokesters!" Axton exclaimed. "Aren't they Zer0?"

Zer0 understood the cue and played along, "Yes I agree. Those two cannot go two seconds without humiliating each other."

Maya realized that the guys were trying to help her, she nodded her head and turned back to Lilith.

"Sorry about that, you were saying?"

Lilith was silent throughout the entire dialogue between everyone, but now as she looked at Maya a smile formed on her face. She started to shake, her hands were clutching her stomach tightly, then out of nowhere Lilith laughed. It was so funny to watch these guys because they reminded her of herself when she was younger. Those were the days, running around the desert looking for loot and enemies. Life was good.

"You guys are a funny bunch. Anywho, as I was saying, I will transport you straight to the Bloodshot Stronghold. Give them a nasty surprise," Lilith replied as she mustered her strength to Phaseshift them. "It'll be great. Hold still."

Lilith glowed again, the purple aura circled her body then she raised her hand and snapped. Maya felt her whole body become enveloped in an aura similar to what she felt when using a fast-travel station. A split second later they landed.

Maya readied her weapon to fire, she scanned the area for targets, but to her surprise everything looked very familiar.

"...I just moved you, like, ten feet, didn't I?" Lilith called out. "Sorry I'm still getting used to this."

Maya couldn't help herself as she fell back laughing. The great Firehawk, capable of entering another dimension, obliterating enemies with a flick of her finger, melting the face off of anyone in front of her, failed...miserably.

"AHAHAHA! That was too funny!" Maya cried out as tears trickled down her face.

"Hey! I'm tired okay? I can't do everything perfectly!" Lilith retorted, a little hurt by the insult.

Maya brought herself up to a sitting position and grabbed onto the railing then pulled herself up, "Haha sorry, it's just funny that someone like you could ever mess up."

Lilith's hurt faded slightly at the compliment, then she smiled mischievously, without warning she leaped across the platforms and landed face to face in front of Maya.

_Holy crap! Woah she's really close to my face, this is not good. Um what do I say? Seriously...what do you say in this situation Maya?!_

"Uh, I'm sorry didn't mean to offend you. I was just shocked because you know, you're really strong and all," Maya stuttered trying to find the right words.

Lilith closed the distance even more, this was the first time she had ever seen another Siren in her life. And considering Salvador's outburst earlier she put two and two together and guessed that Maya must have an interest in her. However Lilith wanted to be sure so she swayed her way to Maya, then gently lifted Maya's face to meet hers and said, "Reminds me though - Bloodshot Stronghold is full of real tough customers - you might wanna train a bit before you take 'em on.

All Maya could do was nod weakly, Lilith's warm breath on her face was more than she could handle. Zer0 pitied how flustered Maya was getting and decided to give her a hand, he swiftly walked over and pulled Maya away.

"Can we please get moving? The day is not getting any younger."

"Haha you're right," Lilith replied, she was slightly disappointed that her fun was being cut short. Lilith had met many people in her life but Maya was an interesting gal. "We should all go back, rest up, and train a little more before we take on the Bloodshots."

"Yeah, my turret could use some R&R," Axton chimed in.

"YES I AGREE! I'M TIRED! I need some beauty sleep," Salvador added.

Maya grasped her arm, it was hurting much less now, but today definitely took its toll on her. She nodded and followed the guys.

Lilith lagged in the back, she watched Maya walk away and hatched a plan to mess with her. Lilith jogged over to Maya's side and threw an arm over her shoulder, pulling Maya in.

"Hey, your arm alright?"

Maya swallowed, "Uh, yeah it's nothing really. Thanks for asking though."

Lilith smiled, "Here gimme your hand." Lilith slid her fingers down Maya's arm until she got to her hand, then she lifted it up and inspected it.

"Looks like you've been through a lot."

"Oh, well not really just...you know...stuff. I'm fine...really."

_Oh my God please don't be so close. Your Eridium crap is getting to me. Wow I can't breathe this is just wonderful...aaaand now my arm is numb. Dear lord please get off of me._

"I'll take care of you when we get back."

Lilith's breathe in her ear took her by surprise, Maya jumped out of her arm and fell down.

"Hahaha, sorry about that cutie. Come on stand up," Lilith apologized while extending her arm out to Maya.

"Thanks," Maya said taking Lilith's hand without looking at her in the eyes.

_This is just torture, this woman is making me a bumbling fucking idiot!_

Lilith smirked at how evil she was. It had been a long while since she felt this energized, flirting with Maya was a pastime that she could easily become addicted to. She smiled thinking of how flustered Maya was just now when Lilith whispered in her ear.

As she kept thinking about it Lilith's mood went sour again, she couldn't believe how amazing she and Roland were before he broke up with her. Lilith remembered their first date, the first time they said 'I love you,' their first kiss, everything was ingrained in her memories. They were going strong for four years but then one day Roland called her over and said that they needed to end things.

Lilith did not take it lightly, she refused to break up for a month before she eventually gave in when Roland threatened to leave the Crimson Raiders. Even though they ended there wasn't a single day that she didn't miss Roland and the way they used to be, she longed for those days to come back knowing they probably never would. But what could a girl do but dream.

****We are at an impasse..will Maya ever realize that she likes Lilith? Is Lilith ever going to get over Roland? What's in store for these two? I guess we'll see in the next chapter! Drop those reviews, favorites, and follows!****

**Random Brain EXPLOSIOOOOON:**

**1) Okay so I've gotten mixed feelings about my pairing. I'm sorry if any of you don't like the Maya/Lilith pairing but honestly they are the only reason I even began writing this story. I will write so that you will FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS COUPLE! (Goal for the year)**

**2) Maya here is oblivious to her feelings while Lilith seems to be playing with her...hmmmm wonder where this will go?**

**3) Sorry for the late update, I just moved into my apartment today so it was quite hectic.**


	23. Chapter 23: You're Such a Tease

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 23**_

_**You're Such a Tease**_

"Hey! There's a Catch-A-Ride machine here," Axton called out once they were out of Frostburn Canyon.

Axton and Salvador raced to digistruct a car, Axton chose the Dimensional skin and Salvador went for the Caustic Racer. Those two always fought over who got to drive a car, sometimes Maya wondered if they were also fighting over who could wreck theirs fastest too. She's only been in a vehicle with these guys a few times but nearly every ride they crash and she had to walk.

"ALRIGHT! LET'S DO THIS!" Salvador screamed with joy.

Zer0 liked the Dimensional skin better so he joined Axton. Salvador waited in his car for Maya to climb in, but it was now that Maya realized there was one person too many.

"Uh...guys? Forgetting something? Or to be more correct, someone?" Maya asked.

The guys finally noticed that there was no space for Lilith to sit.

Lilith shook her head and waved them off, "It's fine I can walk. It should only take about half an hour to the next travel station anyways. You all go on ahead."

"No, that's ridiculous," Maya didn't agree with leaving Lilith alone, especially after the Bloodshot attack, "I'll just wait here with you until they get back and we can go."

Axton smirked at this comment, "Hey! How about you just sit in the back with Lilith? I mean you both are pretty skinny so I don't think it'd be an issue fitting you two."

Maya's eyes got wide as she glared intently at Axton her mind was in complete panic.

_What'?! No! I can't even handle having her arm on my shoulder how would I survive a car ride back to Sanctuary? That is an absolute no-no!_

"Hah….hah….. You're funny Axton! That wouldn't work," Maya said nervously.

"Why not? You think Lilith's too fat to squeeze in with you?"

Zer0 chimed in, "I agree with Axton's proposal. Name one logical reason why you believe Lilith cannot ride with you."

"What? Um well, you know. I just….it's….uhhhhh," Maya couldn't think of a proper argument as to why she shouldn't ride with Lilith, "I really can't think of one."

_Oh, fuck me._

Zer0 smothered his laughter, he knew what they were doing was evil but it was so funny watching Maya be so flustered.

Lilith smiled brightly, she enjoyed watching Maya bumble for words, there was something endearing about it. She walked over and threw an arm over Maya's shoulder, "I thought we were friends Maya, now you're calling lil old defenselessly weak me….fat? Hurtful."

Maya's face was beet red, "What?! No! Not at all! You're not hurt….but I'm not saying you aren't hurt….it's just that you look fine. But not fine like hot, but not that you're not hot, like your powers are hot, not like the temperature. But you know it's like….yeah you are…..yeah."

_What in God's name am I even saying?! None of this shit makes any sense! What the fuck man… Did I just call her hot? What is wrong with me! But she is hurt so it'd make sense to protect her...but how? What is going on!_

Salvador was clueless to Maya's predicament and to the guys' teasing so he just assumed that Maya didn't know how she and Lilith were supposed to sit on the seat together. He thought a moment and told her, "HEY! I'm sure you two can fit! Lilith can sit first and you sit on her lap! She's hurt so you can use your body to protect her!"

Upon hearing this Axton and Zer0 could hold it in no longer and they both burst out laughing. Maya jumped at the sudden burst of noise and scowled.

_Why are they laughing? What's so funny?! Do they think I can't protect her? I bet that's it!_

"Hey! Don't laugh! I can protect Lilith….I just don't think she needs my protection!" Maya yelled, trying to sound tough.

The two eventually stopped laughing and looked at Lilith, Axton asked politely with a slight Southern accent, "Well milady, do you mind if Maya fat ass were to sit on your laps for the next however long car ride?"

Lilith realized that they were purposely teasing Maya and decided to join in on the fun. She turned her attention back to the bumbling Siren next to her and said haughtily, "Why my fine sir, if this young lady will only let me take her. As you see her actions have been quite contradictory."

She was speaking the truth, Lilith was a social butterfly so flirting came naturally to her. The only guy that ever proved difficult to get was Roland and he was just a hard ass all the time. Nonetheless Maya was completely different, she acted fine around the guys but tensed up whenever Lilith came near her.

Lilith didn't understand how anyone could resist her, call it arrogance but that's just how she felt. There hadn't been a single person alive that Lilith wanted who didn't want her back. Maya undresses Lilith with her eyes one moment, then scrambled away in the next. She didn't know if Maya was playing hard to get or if Maya was uncomfortable with Lilith's flirting. Either way Lilith didn't care, unless she was told to stop very explicitly she will not give a damn.

Maya emotions were in complete disarray right now, she was mad at Axton for putting her on the spot, upset with Salvador for suggesting such an arrangement, confused why Zer0 wasn't helping her, and nervous that Lilith was still too close. After a couple more seconds Lilith gave up on waiting for Maya to decide. In one swift motion Lilith picked up Maya and walked to Salvador's Light Runner.

"I'm sorry sweetie but we don't have all day for you to decide whether or not your body is good enough," Lilith said as she neared the vehicle, "to protect me of course."

Maya felt herself get embarrassed, she had never been princess carried before and she didn't know how to even react.

_How did she just pick me up like that? Oh God I'm pressed up against her chest, SHIT don't look up at her! Why did you look up at her? Okay look down, no don't look down! Goddammit! Stupid! Shit now it's gonna take ages to get your heart rate back down._

When Lilith finally reached the car she leaped up in one bound and let Maya down. She entered the gunner seat and tapped her lap, "Have a seat."

Without a word Maya did as she was told, it was a strange sensation to be sitting on a woman's warm lap versus the cold metal.

As she was getting seated Axton screamed, "AND GO GO GO!"

"HEY YOU CHEATER!" Salvador screamed and then stepped on the gas. Maya lost balance and fell back onto Lilith.

_Oh God THOSE ASSHOLES! They really couldn't give me to two SECONDS to sit the FUCK down?! Oh crap I fell onto her, did I hurt her?_

Maya turned back to see if Lilith was alright, "Hey! Are you okay? Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry they just sped out of nowhere."

Lilith was far from pain, the sudden movement got her a little excited. She loved how vulnerable Maya was in this position and completely at her mercy. However she faked a pained expression and replied, "Agh. Yeah that hurt, damn my stomach. The road is really bumpy, you need to sit still so you don't bounce around so much."

"Oh, okay," Maya sat down and grabbed onto the railings to stabilize herself.

"That's not helping, here stay still," Lilith smirked as she pulled Maya's arms off the railings and put them to her side, "I'll just hold onto you so you won't have the chance to bounce around as much."

Lilith then wrapped her arms around Maya's waist, pulling her in.

_Uhhhh, okay this is normal she's hurt, stay still or your fat ass will hurt her. Oh my God are we there yet? They are driving so fast but why does this feel like an eternity! Aghhhh come on, stay calm. Just breath. Don't do anything stup-_

Maya's thoughts were interrupted when she felt Lilith's left hand slide down her waist to her thigh. She swallowed and chuckled nervously, "Heh hey don't lose your grip there."

"Oh, I've got a grip….. A very tight grip," Lilith replied, squeezing Maya's waist with her right arm. "I just wanted to check to see if you were hurt anywhere."

"Ah I see. Hah….I'm fine really, nothing to check," Maya said meekly.

Lilith was enjoying this very much. What wasn't there to enjoy? A beautiful Siren was sitting on her lap, completely helpless, and they had a long ride in front of them. Although Lilith usually liked to be little spoon, it was nice to switch roles for once. Lilith ran her hand down Maya's thigh to her knee and squeezed softly, then she slid her hand around the side and grazed Maya's butt.

Maya's muscles tensed under Lilith's touch, her heart was racing as she absorbed everything Lilith was doing.

_Come on, relax. She's just checking to see if you got hurt anywhere….but you're fine...tell her you're fine. Ahhhh, forget it she won't listen anyways._

Seeing that Maya wasn't protesting Lilith continued doing the same motion. She had to admit that Maya had a very fit body, when they first met Lilith thought she was just skin and bones. Nevertheless as she continued her exploration Lilith found that her predictions were far from the truth.

"It seems that this leg is fine, let's check the other now shall we," Lilith spoke softly into Maya's ear. She slid her left arm up to grasp Maya's waist and moved her right arm down to do the same examination. Lilith could feel Maya's breathing quicken, this brought a smile to her face.

"Um, I really…..think I'm fine….," Maya's voice was shaky from Lilith's stimulations.

"Oh really? Nothing hurts? You're sure?"

Maya was losing her mind, Lilith's persistent movements made her feel even weaker than before. She didn't know what was going on, but she couldn't say that she didn't enjoy it either. It took awhile for Maya to calm down a little before she could reply, "Uh...yeah. I, um, really think I'm fine. Hmph, really…"

Lilith wasn't even listening to her anymore, she loosened her grip just enough so that Maya was leaning forward a little then moved her right hand onto Maya's lower back. Maya jerked at the sudden change and exhaled loudly. Lilith slithered her hand up slowly, watching Maya's back muscles tense up as she passed. When she reached Maya's neck, she gripped her shoulder and pulled Maya back onto her.

She could feel that Maya's breathing was ragged, Lilith brought her lips to Maya's ear and whispered, "I think you are hurt and I think that since you came to find me, it's my fault so….. I should take care of you."

With this Lilith began to drop her left arm slowly down Maya's waist.

"YES! I WIN SUCKER!"

Both Maya and Lilith flew forward as their Light Runner came to an abrupt stop, "NO FAIR! I HAD EXTRA WEIGHT!"

Lilith looked over to see Axton dancing on top of his Light Runner, normally she would have found that hilarious but right now she was downright frustrated. Salvador jumped out, ran over, and kicked Axton's Light Runner, "YOU CHEATING BASTARD! Come on let's race now, without the baggage and we'll see who WINS!"

Maya took a moment to catch her breath, but then swiftly climbed out of the vehicle.

_Shit, what the hell was that? I know she's trying to be nice but that was seriously….wow. Come on breathe, one breath at a time, in and out, breath in….then out. But damn, her hands…. Oh crap. SNAP OUT OF IT DAMMIT! You need a cold shower, yeah that's it. A cold shower. It's been a hot day so you're not thinking straight. Okay back to Sanctuary._

Maya then dashed for the entrance to Sanctuary with her head turned to the guys screaming, "Whatever losers! First one back to Sanctuary is the real winner and it looks like it will be me today!"

Out of nowhere Maya ran straight into a wall and fell back.

"Hmph, looks like I'm the victor today then," Zer0 quipped, extending an arm out to Maya. "Sorry sis, you lost today."

Maya laughed and took his hand, "Pshhh. Whatever, you got lucky."

"HEY! You assholes! I won fair and square!" Axton called out, running towards them.

"What?! No, I'm not losing a SECOND TIME TODAY!" Salvador bellowed as he ran after Axton.

Lilith was still sitting there, so many thoughts running through her mind. Did Maya seriously not get turned on? Why was she so interested in her anyways? Was she losing her touch? Why was it bothering her so much that she couldn't keep going….she was just teasing Maya right? She loves Roland…. But Maya's reactions more than spurred her on. She laid her head back onto the seat and sighed, "Hm I guess there's a first for everything."

She quickly got out of the vehicle and watched the four vault hunters walk away, "But I will get you Maya…. You're not going anywhere."

****So this is my first try at something sexual...was it any good? Shoot me a review and tell me what you think****

**Random Brain EXPLOSIOOOOOON:**

**1) So I finalized classes and I have 23 units this semester...wooooh….*not really* So please do forgive me if my writing gets a little shit xD I will do my best to avoid that.**

**2) Don't you guys love when I tease y'alls with action then quickly change the topic? No? Oh well!**

**3) If this chapter gets a decent amount of positive reviews I will consider actually doing intimate scenes, however that will also require me to change the rating to 'M' so we'll just have to see.**


	24. Chapter 24: Please Don't Hate Me

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 24**_

_**Please Don't Hate Me**_

Once they got to Sanctuary everyone went their separate ways, Axton and Salvador headed straight to the Crimson Raiders headquarters, Zer0 went to Marcus' shop for some target practice, and Maya walked back to the apartment she was staying at. Maya's nerves were still calming down from the car ride with Lilith.

_Okay, just head back, take a shower, and get a nap in. Let's see...it's 19:45….hm, I'll give everyone some time to rest and then we can get dinner together….. Should I invite Lilith? No, no of course not. She's probably going to be busy figuring out a way to save Roland. Right…. Roland._

Maya's heart dropped when she thought of Lilith and Roland, she didn't know much about the two but she still remembered Lilith's face at the mention of his name. There was a longing in her eyes that made Maya jealous, why? She really didn't know. Was she jealous because she wanted Lilith to look at her with those eyes? Or maybe because she wanted to be able to think of someone else with so much love. Either way it didn't matter, right now her stomach was thinking about food.

She got to the apartment, opened the door, and walked up the stairs. Maya undressed as she made her way to the bathroom, she left a trail of clothing on her way into the tub. Once there she turned on the water and leveled the temperature until it was just barely warm. She got in and sat down, letting her body melt into the water. Maya lay her head back and closed her eyes, remembering the events that happened just a few minutes ago.

The way Lilith touched her was uncanny, it sparked something in her that was still burning right now. Maya slowed her breathing, then eventually drifted off. It had been a long day.

Meanwhile Lilith was opening her apartment door, still thinking about Maya. It surprised her when Maya just exited the vehicle as if nothing had happened just a few moments earlier. She smiled at how the Queen of Seduction was foiled so easily, although what was she expecting? Did Lilith really want to fuck her in the car?

When they were sitting in the car, Lilith just wanted to tease Maya a little. She never meant for it to get so intense, but when it did she didn't want it to stop. As she sat there with Maya, Lilith blocked out the entire world around her and focused every fiber in her body on the Siren in her lap. Every curve on Maya's body, every tensed muscle, every drop of sweat, Lilith absorbed it all in, even the smell of Maya's hair.

Lilith's thoughts were interrupted when she heard noise coming from upstairs. She pulled out her gun and went up cautiously. The only people with keys to her place were Roland and Tannis, since she saw Tannis earlier at the Crimson Raiders Headquarters this had to be someone uninvited. When Lilith reached top of the stairs, she took a deep breath and then she shot around the corner, gun raised, ready to shoot-but then she saw the perpetrator.

Maya stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Lilith pointing a gun at her.

_What. The. Fuck?! Why is she pointing a gun at me? Crap I'm in a towel, this is not good. Did I do something wrong?... Oh shit, is this her apartment?! Oh shit shit shit! Say something, before she shoots you!_

"Uhhhh, is this your place?"

Lilith snapped out of her murderous gaze and let go of a breath she didn't realize she was holding, "Yeah…. Umm, why are you here?"

"Sorry, I knew this was someone's apartment. It's just the guys put me in here and I guess I never questioned it," Maya replied while looking down, "now I wish I had."

"Uhh, yeah…I ummm. No one told me, I just...uhh," Lilith couldn't get out a solid sentence, her eyes were glued onto Maya's body.

Maya's towel was wrapped around her chest, but cut barely short of covering her butt. Lilith knew that Maya was fit, but seeing it for herself was something totally different. She couldn't pull her eyes off Maya's long, toned legs that had Siren tattoos running along the side.

_Why is she staring at me? Is there something on my leg?... Should I say something?_

"Ummm, I'm sorry I'll grab my stuff and leave," Maya said softly, breaking the awkward silence, "I'm sure I can just crash with the guys. Sorry to bother you."

Maya made a move to grab her clothes but accidentally stepped on a shard of glass, cutting her foot. She fell back on the bed, Lilith leaped quickly over to Maya and held onto her arms.

"Hey! You okay? What happened?" Lilith asked with worry flooding her voice.

"Yeah I'm fine, I just stepped on some glass."

"You stepped on what?" Lilith questioned, then she scanned the floor for the glass. "I don't remember having any…."

It was now that Lilith noticed the broken glass from the picture of her and Roland together on their first trip together. The two of them had been so shy with each other, that it took weeks of convincing on Lilith's part to get Roland to go. They had been in a relationship for about six months already and Lilith felt that it was about time for them to take a trip. Lilith's true reason for the trip was because even though they had been together for so long, they never did it.

Roland was too modest to ever make a move and whenever Lilith tried to start something it would always be ruined, either because Mordecai called in because Bloodwing was upset or Brick got in trouble for smashing up an important dignitary. She never could catch a break. However that weekend she wanted to make sure that nothing would interrupt their alone time.

Lilith pulled Brick and Mordecai aside before she left and warned them, "If either of you call me OR Roland this weekend, you better hope it's either an emergency-as in you're about to die-or else you better be good at forging a new identity or I will hunt you down. And. Kill. You."

This essentially guaranteed that the two were undisturbed for the next few days. Needless to say Lilith pounced on Roland the moment they got into the cabin and he didn't put up much of a fight. Now she was standing there, looking at the broken picture frame, glass shards everywhere, and their picture ripped slightly in the middle.

"How...did this….happen?" Lilith asked, unable to conceal the anger in her voice.

Maya sensed it immediately and fumbled for words to say, "I was in a hurry and I accidentally ran into it. I'm so sorry."

"Sorry? You broke the only thing that I have left from my life with Roland…. And all you have to say, is sorry?"

"I...I really don't know what else to say, I really didn't mean to it's just that it-"

"SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Lilith screamed her blood rushing into her head as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Maya sat on the bed speechless, she was scared for her life. As a Siren she knew firsthand how unstable her powers got when she was mad and she knew that Lilith was way past angry. She watched Lilith turn away and start shaking.

_No...please...don't cry. I can't bare the thought of you crying… Please…_

She took awhile to will up the courage to stand up and walk to Lilith, Maya slowly reached out and gently grasped Lilith's shoulder.

Suddenly, in a motion too quick for Maya to react, Lilith turned around and pushed her back. Maya lost balance and fell on the bed, Lilith followed shortly with one hand holding both of Maya's hands above her head and the other firmly wrapped around her neck. Lilith's eyes were blurred from the tears as she squeezed down, "All I have left...you….took it away…."

Maya struggled to no avail, she was kicking her feet and trying to fight off Lilith but the other Siren was much stronger than she had anticipated.

_Crap…. she's so strong! Dammit get her off, come on! Agh of all times to be naked you choose now?! Come on, push! Ugh I can't breathe…. she's not stopping. She's crying, dammit you fucked up. Please stop crying, I can't bare to see you cry._

It confused Maya how she was being strangled near death and yet all she could think was how beautiful Lilith's eyes were. She stared into the eyes that portrayed nothing but pain and agony, it broke her heart to see this, but luckily this was about to not be a problem. Maya was starting to lose her vision, her air supply had been cut off for a while now and she was giving up on trying to fight back. She closed her eyes and let go.

_Whatever happens…. happens, it's my fault. If me dying makes her happy then so be it. _

Unexpectedly the tension on her neck loosened and Maya gratefully took a deep gulp of air. She was too afraid to open her eyes so she just laid there. Maya twitched when she felt a hand delicately caress her face.

"Please, don't cry. I'm sorry."

At this Maya opened her eyes to see Lilith's face only an inch away from hers, as her hand wiped away tears that Maya didn't know she was shedding. Maya wanted to say something, but was still too shaken up.

Lilith reached behind and held onto the back of Maya's head, "Please don't hate me, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Maya opened her mouth to say something, but stopped.

_Best not say anything that might upset her…. She's scary. She almost KILLED me…. Over her ex-boyfriend. Why is he so important to her? Why does she care so much about that picture? What the fuck does it mean so much to her that she's willing to kill me over it?!_

As Maya kept thinking about this she felt more tears stream down her face, she was jealous of Roland. She was jealous of how he still had control over Lilith even after their break up, she was upset that Lilith was so hurt over a damn picture, and she was scared of Lilith's cruel treatment of her. Actually, she was terrified of Lilith, this woman that was so soft and kind to her earlier suddenly had such a heartless face as she squeezed the air out of Maya.

Lilith stared down at Maya and she felt her heart break, was she really that upset about a picture? Why was she so bothered about a picture of her ex-boyfriend? She loosened her grip on Maya and lowered her body.

"Maya, please stop crying. I'm sorry, it's a stupid picture don't worry about it," Lilith tried her best to comfort her but had no luck. "Maya look at me…. Maya please look up at me."

Maya swallowed hard and lifted her head, she fluttered her eyes then eventually opened them. Lilith was so close that Maya could feel her breath. They both stayed there staring into each other's eyes, neither of them able to say anything. There was no word that could fix what just happened between them. Nothing.

_You're so beautiful, why are you so beautiful? I'm scared of your anger but I'm even more scared of you hating me. Please don't hate me…. Lilith…. I think I love you._

Maya's emotions were in complete chaos, she didn't know what to say. So she did the only thing she could, Maya stretched her neck forward and kissed Lilith.

****Yo! Sorry I had to stop here but I know where this is headed and I'm deciding if I want to give a hang at it or not. Until then toss me a review to tell me what you thought and keep up those favorites and follows****

**Random Brain EXPLOSIOOOOOON:**

**1) If I decide to do the scene that most people seem to be anticipating at this point, I will have to change the rating to Mature which would suck because most of my story isn't really dirty =/**

**2) What do you guys think about the flow of their relationship thus far? Am I going too fast with them? Or should I speed it up xD**

**3) SAINTS ROW 4 IS OUT! Playing ALL day LONG! So yeah, that's why this chapter came out a bit late. Sorry about that.**


	25. Chapter 25: What is a Kiss?

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 25**_

_**What is a Kiss?**_

_Shit…. Why isn't she reacting? Did I do something wrong?… Uhhh, what do I do?_

Maya and Lilith were still locking lips, neither moved to further the kiss nor to break it. Lilith was too surprised by the Maya's sudden boldness, while Maya on the other hand was wondering why she was kissing Lilith in the first place. What made her think that it would be the right thing to do? Suddenly they heard a knock on the door, Lilith pushed herself up and hurried downstairs. Maya gratefully got up and put on her clothes.

_Oh fuck…. She's still mad at me, I thought that would help the situation not make it worse! Back then I always kissed them to say sorry…. But why did I kiss her lips instead…. Oh God, those lips. Shit I'm burning up again, what the HELL is wrong with me?!_

Maya threw her clothes on as quickly as she could, looking around to make sure that nothing was left behind. When she was certain that she had everything Maya headed down the stairs to see who was there. As she proceeded downstairs she heard a familiar voice at the bottom.

"Yeah! I'm here to grab her so we can go out for a bite, the guys are grabbing pizza and we'll chill somewhere," Maya smiled when she realized that it was Axton.

"You know if we have pizza all the time you're gonna get fat," Maya quipped. Axton stood up from the couch and flipped the bird.

"Whatever bro, just because you're fat don't mean this hot bod will ever get there."

"HAH! Hot bod? Surely you kid yourself."

Axton stuck out his tongue, "Psh Missy A-Cup. Don't think you're all that just because you got boobs… Oh wait, you don't!"

Maya feigned outrage and punched his arm playfully, "Why! I'll have you know that how much boobage I have is none of your business…. -Compensator. We all know why you designed such a big turret."

"Oh really?"

Maya smiled victoriously, "Oh yeah! Zer0 told me that men usually have big toys when they have small guns."

Axton was bewildered, "Wait what?"

"He said that you had a big turret because you don't have a big gun, although it boggles my mind why you don't just buy an assault rifle."

"Maya…. Sweetie…. Do you know what he meant when Zer0 said, small gun?"

"Yes… He said that you have a small gun, I don't see where you're getting confused here."

"Right," Axton snickered trying to contain his laughter, but failed quickly, "AHAHAHAHA! YOU THINK HE ACTUALLY MEANT GUN?! Jeez woman, I knew you were innocent but this is HILARIOUS! The guy that gets with you is in for a treat!"

Maya stomped her feet indignantly, "HEY! Shut the fuck up! Any guy that gets me would be damn lucky! It's not everyday you get to say your girlfriend is a Siren you know!"

"Um…. I'm sorry am I interrupting?" Maya turned and noticed that she forgot about Lilith.

_Oh crap, don't look at her. Just look away and change the topic. Agh, just do your best to ignore her and only talk when necessary._

"Ahahaha, haha, ahhh, sorry Lilith forgot you were right there," Axton apologized as he stood up. "We'll be out of your hair now…. Unless, would you like to join us?"

"NO!" Maya said, her voice louder than she was expecting. "She's tired, she should get some rest."

Lilith turned her attention to Axton and replied, "Yeah I need to stay back and relax. It's been a long day. Thanks for the invite though."

Axton nodded his head and opened the door, motioning Maya to come. When the door shut Lilith immediately fell back onto her couch, closed her eyes, and remembered what just happened. She remembered how angry she was at Maya, how she nearly choked her to death, and how Maya's sad eyes broke her heart. Then, the kiss. Lilith was completely taken off guard by Maya's kiss, she wasn't expecting it and didn't know how to react.

Thinking back, how could she have possibly reacted? Lilith's rage at the moment clouded all her logical thinking as she just kept remembering that weekend with Roland. The first time they said 'I love you', the first time they made love, the first time they promised to be together forever. It was all so perfect and yet there it was broken on her bedside table.

Shattered by the woman that she only met a few hours ago, the woman whose body she could not keep her hands off of, the woman who she nearly killed out of spite, the woman whose kiss made her mind go blank. This woman had more control over her than she cared to admit. Lilith brought her fingers up to her lips and kissed them gently, then sighed, "Maya what have you done to me?"

Meanwhile Maya and Axton were making their way out of Sanctuary to meet up with the guys; however as they got closer they noticed that the food was there, but the company wasn't. The two looked at each other in confusion, then Maya asked, "I thought you said we were all eating?"

"Yeah, I thought so too," Axton replied. "Lemme call them on their ECHO Device, maybe they went back to grab a drink of something."

Axton scrolled around then rang up Zer0 and Salvador, "Hey! Where the hell are you two? And why is there only one pizza? I thought we agreed on three."

Zer0 was first to reply, "I apologize for this inconvenience but Tannis informed me that she discovered a new technology that would be very useful with my CT and I decided to stay back and speak with her about it."

"Okay…. That's your excuse, what about you Salv?"

"I ALREADY ATE THE PIZZAS! And the local Bunkers and Badasses club is meeting for their WEEKLY GAME! I must play!" Salvador replied excitedly.

"WHAT?! So one is ditching us for technology and the other is playing a board game? Are you men or are you nerds?!" Axton yelled.

Maya giggled at their conversation, she walked over to Axton and leaned on his shoulder, "You know, boys will be boys. Just let them have their fun. I'm sure we'll have fun without them."

Axton scowled, "Fine. I'll let them go this time. Bye you dweebs!"

Maya walked over to the clothe and sat down, she admired how beautiful the sunset was. She found it funny how she was only noticing it now.

_It's a really pretty day, if only I could have spent it with…. No, get her out of your head! She's mad at you, it's already too late to fix this friendship. Ugh, the only woman in your life that you ever get close to, quite possibly the first woman who will ever be your friend and you ruin it like that. Just like that. But why was she so mad about the kiss? I did it all the time, ughhhh I hate this._

Maya laid back and groaned loudly, "Why am I so stupid?"

"Well I'd say it's in the blood and based on personal knowledge, I guess it runs in the family," Axton retorted.

"Right now is not the time for your jokes Axton."

Axton was taken back, Maya's usual witty attitude was now dreary and self-defeating he didn't like it one bit, "You aiite sis?"

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine. That's why I'm laying here frustrated and asking about why I'm stupid," Maya shot back.

"Okay…. I'll take that as a no," Axton responded politely, he popped open a Moxxi's Mystery they bought from Moxxi's and handed one to Maya. "Here drink some, maybe it'll calm your nerves."

Maya took the can and drank it dry in one gulp, the two sat there in awkward silence for about five minutes because Axton finally got up the guts to say something.

"So what's got you down? Usually after five minutes alone with me you're either about to tear out my heart or you're spilling your heart. What's up?"

Maya sighed, then turned to Axton staring him dead in the eye, "What does a kiss mean to you?"

Axton was slightly stunned by the question, "A kiss? Like what kind?"

"There are kinds of kisses?" Maya was bewildered, it never occurred to her there was more than one type of kiss.

"Well…yeah. It depends on the person, the time, the place, lots of things matter, not every kiss is the same you know."

Maya moved closer to Axton, "What are they?"

Axton didn't know why this suddenly mattered to Maya, but from the look in her eyes he knew it was important for her to know. He took a moment to think then replied, "Well. There are kisses of passion, kisses of friendship, kisses that don't say anything, and kisses that say everything. That's why sometimes a kiss can mean so much. Because after you kiss, there is no need to speak. Everything's already been said."

"Really…. I see."

Maya thought back to all the kisses she had given in the past, when she kissed the Brothers it was because she had to, when she kissed Kyle it was out of affection for him, and…. that was it. Those were all the kisses she had ever given. But with Lilith, something just felt...different.

_What was our kiss? It wasn't passion, was it? Well, I've never felt passion so I guess I wouldn't even fucking know would I? Why did I kiss her? I kissed her because I was sorry, for hurting her, for breaking her picture, for being in her house uninvited… but…. ugh what's this nagging feeling I have?_

She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice Axton staring at her. His eyes were sad, why was Maya questioning a kiss? It had never come up in conversation before, was there something she wanted to tell him? Axton just leaned back and stared at Maya, his eyes wandered from her hair, to her eyes and then her cheeks, they were redder than usual.

Then his eyes got to Maya's neck and he popped up leaned in to get a closer look, "What the hell is this?"

Maya snapped out of her inner turmoil and turned to him, "What the hell is what?"

"The marks on your neck."

"Oh this? It's nothing, just a scratch," Maya reached up to cover it, usually her regular gear would cover up her entire neck but after the last fight it got torn and she just ripped it off when she got back. Now she was severely regretting it.

"A scratch? Maya I can see fucking finger marks, who did this to you?"

"It's nothing, don't worry about it! It was my fault anyways."

Axton was furious, don't worry? He was sitting next to the first woman who genuinely cared for him as a person, someone who he cared for deeply as well, someone that risked her lives on multiple occasions for the sake of other people, a person he truly cared for and respected, yet she was telling him not to worry? She had a lot to learn about him.

"Maya… Tell me… Who. Did. This. To. You?"

Maya swallowed deeply, she had never seen Axton so angry before, "It...it was Lilith, but listen to me it was my fault! I broke her picture with Roland and you know how much she loves him and she got a little carried away. So then she kinda choked me a little, then I almost passed out, but then she stopped, then I cried and she cried, and then I kissed her and then… Just, forget it. Please."

Axton just sat there staring at Maya, he took a few moments to absorb the sudden rush of information and eventually said softly, "You kissed her?"

"Yes, I thought it would calm her down but it seemed to just make her more mad."

"Hah… What were you expecting? You piss someone off and then make out, that it's going to solve all your problems?"

"We didn't make out! I just kissed her, that's what I used to do at the abbey. It was my way of showing affection and apologizing."

It was now that Axton put two and two together, he wondered why Lilith was so flustered when she opened the door earlier. So they got in a fight, Maya tried to kiss and make it better but obviously it meant totally different things to both parties, and here she was spilling the beans without any clue that what she did was probably misunderstood.

Axton didn't know whether he should laugh at how innocent Maya was or punch Lilith in the face for hurting his baby sister. Although they weren't blood related, in a dangerous world like Pandora and in Axton's line of work, forming a quick bond was what kept soldiers alive. He genuinely cared for Maya as his little sister and the thought of anyone hurting her drove him insane.

After a minute or two Axton made up his mind about a course of action, he licked his lips and opened the box of pizza. He took one for himself and passed another along to Maya.

"Here, eat. You are seriously the most idiotic girl I've ever met in my life. Just because some traditions are accepted on your planet doesn't mean everywhere is the same. I'll talk to Lilith for you," Axton said as he opened another can of Moxxi's Mystery. "Troublesome little twerp."

Maya opened her mouth to talk back, but thought better of it.

_I'll let you get away with it this time jerk…_

"Thanks."

****Okay so I revised my outline and am back on track with my original plans. Thanks for the honest opinions, I just wanted to test the waters to see what's up and since it is what it is I'll be writing naturally now. Nonetheless, shoot me a review, favorite, and follow****

**Random Brain EXPLOSIOOOOON:**

**1) So if some of y'alls knew what Bunkers and Badasses was, then good news is that I'm going to write about the Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon's Keep DLC sometime later on in the series.**

**2) I'm going to introduce Gaige and Krieg fairly soon, hopefully sometime in the following week for those wondering.**

**3) There is no such thing in the Borderlands world as Moxxi's Mystery drink, I just wrote that in so I could explain how they, you know, don't die of thirst.**

**4) ON A FINAL IMPORTANT NOTE! I'm thinking of doing a short special on the Zer0/Tannis relationship. Comment and tell me if you'd like that and I'll do it for the next chapter!**


	26. Chapter 26: Zer0Tannis Special

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. Gearbox and 2K own these characters, NOT ME!**

**Deviating from my normal Maya-only story line I am writing a special about Zer0 and Tannis! If you are not interested in this please skip this chapter and go to the next =)**

_**Chapter 26: Zer0/Tannis SPECIAL**_

_**Well Now This is Awkward**_

"Oh my, he's going to be here soon. I need to get all the schematics of the hologram set up so this will be a fast transaction."

Tannis was running around the headquarters, setting up the necessary blueprints and gear to show Zer0 when he finally got there. She wanted to avoid the sudden surprises that sprinkled their last meeting and thusly decided to prepare everything prior to him arriving. This way he would come in, she would show him the tech, and they would both be on their way.

"Okay, so those go there. And these go here. The napkins goes there, some chips over here, and a candle right there," Tannis mumbled to herself as she walked around the room, "aaaand perfect!"

A sudden noise caused her to jump and turn around, it was a Lieutenant Davis coming in from a long day's training. He walked in exhausted, but then tripped and fell flat on his face.

"HEY! YOU FELL OVER MY CHAMPAGNE!" Tannis screamed out, fretting over to see if the bottle had broken. Luckily for her it was still very much intact.

"What the fuck lady?" Lt Davis screamed while clutching his knee. "Can't you have your stupid little date somewhere else?!"

Tannis stopped what she was doing and turned to face him, "This. Is not. A date! I'm merely performing the regular customs of social protocol that allow one to feel comfortable in a workplace."

Lieutenant Davis ignored her and got up, "Yeah whatever you say bitch, just don't fuck too loud. I need sleep."

"Wait, what?! Why on earth would we ever do such a heinous act? I am merely planning to converse with a fellow colleague on methods to improving his craft, which I also happen to be an expert in. Something you and your crass little shooting gun men aren't familiar with."

"Right… Let's survey the scene here, some snacks, champagne, candlelight...yes, just as I suspected. A date!" Lieutenant Davis announced triumphantly. "I hope you two have fun, 'honing' your craft. Jeez, you're hopeless."

Tannis was outraged at this man's ignorance, she picked up a pencil and threw it at his head, "I'll have you know that I am a studied woman and would never think of such promiscuous activities such as dating. Zer0 is a cultured man and would appreciate a friendly dinner as FRIENDS, plus I learned all these techniques from Moxxi. She told me this is how to get a man relaxed to work. So, please take this as kindly as I can say it. Fuck you."

Lieutenant Davis raised an eyebrow, "You took advice from Moxxi…. You seriously don't see where this is going? You know what? Don't answer that, I'm going to bed." He threw his hands up in exasperation and jogged upstairs.

Tannis flipped him off then returned to preparing for Zer0, "That bastard doesn't know what he's saying."

About five minutes later Zer0 arrived at the headquarters, he just got a scolding from Axton about ditching so his mood was a little sour. Although he liked hanging out with everyone, it was nice to talk to someone outside the Vault Hunter circle for once. Not to mention he was very excited to see what Tannis had in store for him.

When Zer0 entered he was greeted by a soft aroma wafting from Tannis' table, he made his way over and saw the candle. Next to that he also saw some napkins, snacks, and two glasses filled with what looked to be champagne. This all took him by surprise, did Tannis bring him here to show him new tech or a romantic dinner?

"Why hello, it's nice of you to come on such short notice," Zer0's head snapped back to see Tannis is a tight fitting dress, slinking her way to him.

"Uh, yes I was really interested in the tech you were telling me about," Zer0 replied.

Tannis continued to walk seductively towards him, Zer0 stepped back but then fell onto the chair behind him, "I'm glad. I worked very hard to incorporate the script with your CT."

"That's lovely ma'am. Should I-" Zer0's thoughts cut out when Tannis suddenly sat on his lap.

The two sat like this for a few very awkward seconds before Zer0 got the courage to ask, "Umm. Why are you sitting on my lap?"

"Well, uh...Moxxi said that since we're new at working together, that I should find ways to make you comfortable," Tannis explained nervously, "she said this is how you get a man comfortable to get him to cooperate. Seeing as how I've failed miserably before, I decided to take some numbing agents so I don't throw up on you and I've also drank some caffeine so I don't pass out."

"I see… That kind of you, but… Um, why is there champagne?"

"Moxxi said that it helps calm the nerves."

"Ah, then uh...why is there a video camera on that stand over there?"

"Oh that? It's Moxxi's! She said she would like to see how I do and maybe use it for her own co-workers."

Zer0 swallowed stiffly and said as respectfully as he could, "Tannis. You are a lovely woman, but I have no intention of having sex with you, nor do I plan to film it. We barely know each other and it would be quite strange to star-"

"What?! No no no! You dirty imp! Why would I want to do any of that with you?" Tannis roared as she climbed off him.

Zer0 took the chance to stand up from the chair and move away from Tannis, "Well then what is with the candles and the snacks and the champagne and the VERY revealing dress?"

"You got that I wanted to sleep with you from that?!"

"Any normal person would!"

Tannis stomped her foot angrily, "How did any of that say that I wanted to have sex with you?"

Zer0 stared at her in disbelief, "Are you serious? None of this was a red flag? The champagne, the lingerie, the video camera?"

"What do you mean?"

"My goodness woman! You got your tips from Moxxi, the only advice she's good at are those that get you laid! She wanted you to get drunk and then film us, are you really that dense?"

Tannis looked around and finally understood what he meant, she sat down and muttered to herself, "Oh my God, I'm a whore. I didn't think anything of all this..How could I have been so stupid?"

Zer0 felt a pang of guilt, he didn't mean to react so strongly. He definitely had a crush on Tannis, what was there not to like? She was smart, attractive, and had a little quirkiness to her that made her different from all the humans he knew. However this was not how he wanted their first intimate interaction to be.

He walked over, kneeled down and placed his hand on her shoulder, "Please don't mistaken me Tannis. you are a lovely woman and I would be honored to bed you. However not under these circumstances and please..don't call yourself a whore. You are most certainly not."

Tannis looked up slowly, she couldn't believe what she just heard. He said that he would like to 'bed' her, Tannis felt her heart race as she realized what that meant. She stared into his mask, guessing where his eyes were, hoping that they were looking back at her too. Tannis leaned forward and kissed the top of his visor.

"Thank you for your understanding. I apologize for the miscommunication. I should have known better than to listen to Moxxi. Either way, let's get down to business shall we? I have some very interesting hologram technology that I think you can use."

With that Tannis stood up and walked over to the table, grabbing a glass of champagne for herself and another for Zer0. He smiled as he walked over, taking a glass.

"That would be lovely."

Tannis took a sip and set down her glass. Maybe other people aren't as bad as she always thought they were.

****I like the Tannis/Zer0 coupling so from time to time I'll throw it in for a change of pace. Don't worry though. I'm still all Maya/Lilith. Nonetheless as time goes by this will just evolve into a round about drama xD****

**IMPORTANT: **

**I don't know who I want to set up Axton with yet so I'm leaving this up to the readers. Throw out some suggestions and I'll see how that goes.**


	27. Chapter 27: What Do Women Want?

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 27**_

_**What Do Women Want?**_

By the time Maya and Axton finished their meal it was dark out, although the stars did a lovely job of illuminating the sky.

Maya sighed contently, laying down with one hand behind her head and the other gently tapping her stomach, "Thanks for the meal bro. It was nice to just sit down and talk."

Axton scoffed, "You girls and your feelings."

"Oh shut up. Don't ruin the moment."

"Whatever you say boss."

Maya closed her eyes and exhaled, her mind ran through all the events that have transpired in the past couple days. It boggled her mind how in only a matter of three days she found herself a group of friends that she genuinely cared about. Axton was an asshole most the time but it was endearing on him. Zer0 barely talked, but whenever he did it was either haiku wit or just plain genius gibberish. Then there's Salvador, the loudest, most obnoxious guy there, but he's a damn teddy bear when you get to know him. She loved those guys, they were the family that she didn't ask for and admittedly the best kind she could have gotten.

But then, there's Lilith. Maya really didn't know what to think of Lilith, the two were unusually intimate and now she doesn't even want to see Lilith again. Yet there is a part of her that dying inside at the thought of not seeing Lilith.

_Dammit, I was supposed to just chill and relax. But now all I can think about is Lilith! What the hell is your problem Maya? You don't need a friend that bad, you already have a family. The guys care about you and you about them. Ughhh, why are you so upset about Lilith being mad at you? Can't you just let it go? People simmer down with time. You can't rush these things!_

Axton glanced over and saw Maya's eyelids twitching; he knew she must be thinking about Lilith. Honestly Axton was curious about those two himself. Earlier today he was almost certain that Lilith was putting the moves on Maya in the car, not seeming to realize that a Light Runner isn't a private hotel room. However, Lilith choking Maya over a picture of her and Roland really threw him off. He wondered if Lilith liked Maya or if she was just toying with her.

Either way it didn't matter to him. Maya was an important part of his life and he wasn't going to let anyone, not even Lilith, fuck that up. The innocence Maya embodies is rare in today's time, especially on Pandora and Axton wanted to keep it that way.

This also made Axton wonder if Maya knew she had sexual feelings for Lilith. Her inability to comprehend what a 'That's what she said' joke and a 'small gun' reference made him question whether she knew what sexual arousal was. Axton gave it a moment and thought back, Maya's exploring eyes, her flustered look when he invited Lilith to join them, their kiss before he came, but there was more to it.

Axton took a deep breath, leaned back on his arms and asked casually, "Maya do you know what sex is?"

Maya's eyes shot open, her thoughts went blank as she shot up into a sitting position, "What?"

"As in, did anyone talk to you about the birds and the bees?"

"Uh...well, um. You know it's not...really okay to talk about...you know," Maya stammered not knowing what to say, "we were generally just said to stay about from boys and...you know."

Axton chuckled, "So...no?"

"Well, yeah. Why?" Maya questioned defensively.

"I don't know any better way to put this and as a soldier I've always been taught to be blunt," Axton cleared his throat, "Do you like Lilith? As in, you want to do her?"

"Do what to her?"

Axton stifled his laugh at this comment, she really was something else, "As in you want to bang her."

"Why would I want to hit her?"

Axton's eyes were now wide in disbelief, he wondered whether she really didn't know or she was messing with him. In a final attempt to get an answer to his question Axton asked very slowly, "I'm asking if you want to have sex with her. As in get naked, make love, go through the process of creating babies. I seriously don't know any other way to put this!"

Maya felt her face get red when she finally understood the question, "OH! Um…Well I never thought of it that way. She's a girl, we're both girls, that'd never work."

"And why not?"

"Well...it's just. I don't know, we're girls. That's weird," Maya replied nervously.

"Okay…you still haven't answered my question," Axton pulled Maya's face up to meet his eyes, "Do you like Lilith sexually?"

Maya pulled away, "What does it matter? I just wanted a friend that's a girl for once! Don't get me wrong, you guys are great but I want to be around a girl from time to time. She was the first girl that I wasn't uncomfortable around. She's a fucking Siren. She's beautiful, kind, caring, and very devoted. She's everything I'm not. I just want to...be around her."

Axton sighed, he knew women were confusing but Maya's mixed messages were driving him insane.

After a few moments of silence Maya spoke again, "When she was choking me I was terrified, not because I was in pain, but because she was. It broke my heart that I could have done something so terrible and I was scared that she would hate me forever. She loves Roland, yet I go and destroy their most precious memory together. But you know what hurts me more? I was mad at her too! I was mad that she cared so much about a stupid picture that probably didn't mean anything to him! Otherwise why did they break up?!...I'm an awful person."

Maya curled up into a ball, trying to force back the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

"You know, anger and sadness go hand in hand," Axton said softly, "Don't hate yourself for being human. It's our best and worst qualities that make life worth living."

Axton patted her back and Maya's emotions rushed out, she sobbed inconsolably and whenever she tried to stop another wave of tears would pour in. This tore at Axton's heart, he knew that Lilith was still in love with Roland and it pissed him off that she would toy with Maya's heart like this. He weighed his options, neither of which he liked but he had to choose one. With a resolute mind Axton stood up and walked off.

Comforting Maya right now would only make her feel weak, so he decided to leave her to her own devices. As he neared Sanctuary, Axton sent Maya a short ECHO message:

"Hey twerp. Sorry to leave you but I hate crying women. Hah. I know I'm terrible, but I think you're a grown woman and needed to take the time for yourself. Please feel better. You're an awesome chick. But I like you smiling and sassy, not gloomy and sad, take some time to relax. Tonight you can crash at the headquarters; I'll set up a small area for you to stay….. Oh and remember to clean up that picnic! I can't do everything for you now can I?"

Axton smiled contently, he hoped she would hear the message and does exactly as he asked because he had some business to care of, with Lilith.

****Ooooh, something's gonna go DOWN! Anywho, drop me a review, favorite, or follow. Hope you guys enjoyed it!****

**Random Brain EXPLOSIOOOOON:**

**1) I'm giving you, the readers, freedom to throw out any suggestions for Axton. Please keep in mind that although I know some of you would love it, Maya is not a viable choice.**

**2) If any of you guys actually play Borderlands on Steam, PM me and we should totally meet up for a game. I really want to get to know my readers, since y'alls make the day a little more interesting.**


	28. Chapter 28: For Her Own Good

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 28**_

_**For Her Own Good**_

Axton stood in front of Lilith's apartment for a long while before he got the courage to knock on her door. After a few seconds of no reply, he knocked again. Then when there was still no reply Axton knocked even louder and called out for Lilith.

Finally he heard an annoyed reply, "I'm coming! Hold your fucking horses!"

When the door opened Axton was greeted by a sloppy Lilith who had clearly just taken a bath. She was wearing loose shorts, a baggy shirt, and had a towel draped over her shoulder. Axton was surprised at how tiny she looked in the loose fitting clothing.

"Well? Are you coming in or are you just gonna stand there?" Lilith jeered.

Axton didn't realize he was staring and quickly apologized, "Oh right. Sorry."

He entered the apartment then scooted over to the couch. Axton waited for Lilith to get comfy in her armchair before he spoke, "Do you know why I'm here?"

Lilith scoffed, "I was thinking to annoy me, but since you accomplished that. No."

Axton chuckled, "Yeah. Sorry about that. I didn't know you heard me."

"Well I did, and so did the neighbor, and the guy across the street, and the bandit across Pandora in a fucking coma."

"Harsh."

"I know. So why don't we hurry up this painful conversation and you tell me what you want soldier boy."

At the mention of the name Axton's head shot up and he asked, "What did you just call me?"

"I called you soldier boy," Lilith replied, "why you got a problem with that?"

Axton smiled, "No. Not at all."

In his entire life only one other person had ever called him 'soldier boy' and here he was sitting with that person's other half. If only those two knew how perfect they were for each other.

"Hey…. Are you gonna talk or sit there smiling all night?"

Axton snickered, "As much as I would enjoy sitting here all night smiling at your ignorance, let's get straight to the point and save us both lots of time in the future."

Lilith nodded and gestured for Axton to continue.

"Stay away from Maya."

Deadly silence followed this request, Lilith and Axton just sat there glaring intently until she finally spoke.

"What?"

Axton sighed, "I know you heard me. Stay. Away. From Maya."

Lilith's teeth clenched as she raised a brow, "Is that a request? Or a threat?"

"It's whatever you want it to be lady, but I'm only telling you this once. Don't go near Maya, don't talk to Maya, hell pretend she doesn't exist for all I care."

"And what if she talks to me?"

"Ignore her," Axton replied coldly. "But know this, she's a sweet girl. She's much nicer than anyone I've met, Zer0's met, Salv's met, and especially the best that you have ever met. If you ever come near her again I will rain hell on you. I love her, she's the first family that has ever cared about me and I hate to see her hurt. So for your and her own good, stay away from her."

Axton tried to sound determined in his speech, but it was difficult. He saw how Maya looked at Lilith, it reminded him of his wife's face when they first met. That unbelievable connection of seeing the person that you know will love for the rest of your life, no matter what happens in the future. Of course he knew that Maya wasn't aware of it, but he thought Lilith should have been. Evidently not.

Nonetheless, he was already steadfast in his resolve. It was either tell Maya that she should pursue this because obviously the two have some kind of connection and risk his baby sister getting very hurt in the process or tell Lilith to back off and let things go back to the way they were before. Axton chose the latter.

Lilith never took to being told what to do well, this time was no exception. Honestly she didn't want to talk to Maya either, at least not yet, her emotions were in turmoil and she didn't need Maya complicating things further. However she was not expecting Axton's threat to be so direct.

She leaned forward from her seat and rested her elbows on her thighs, "Why would I ever hurt her?"

Axton returned the gesture in kind, his eyes unwavering from Lilith's, "The better question would be, why did you hurt her?"

Lilith's eyes dropped when she recalled what happened earlier that day, "It was a mistake. I got a little out of hand."

"A little? Your handprint is on her fucking neck you prick. And the thing I don't think you realize is that she CHOSE not to stop you. Not that she couldn't, but she didn't."

Lilith backed up into her chair again, she knew he was right. Maya's Phaselock wasn't strong but it wasn't weak either, using it to pull Lilith back wouldn't have been difficult, but why didn't she?

Seeing Lilith back off Axton continued, "You've seen her ability. Phaselocking you would not have taken a damn ounce of her energy, but she just let you do it. I don't know why, but I don't give a damn either."

An empty silence ensued as Axton maintained his hostile presence watching as Lilith lost herself in her thoughts. The tension was so palpable that they could have cut the air with a knife. Lilith leaned her head back, sighed deeply and let her voice crack through the stillness.

"No."

Axton jumped up with his fists clenched at his side, "What did you say?"

Lilith crossed her legs and looked up at Axton, "No."

"No what?"

She smiled mischievously, "No I'm not going to stop talking to Maya."

"Are you looking for a death wish?" Axton leaned in, resting his hands on the arms of the chair and hovered his face over her.

Lilith scoffed, "Are you looking for yours? Little man?"

With that Lilith Phaseshifted, Axton was taken by surprise by her power. Even though he knew she used it earlier that day, he was too busy protecting his own ass to notice what Lilith was doing. He pulled out his gun and turned around furiously, trying to find Lilith.

"Come out you fucking bitch!"

A soft voice whispered behind him, "I'm right behind you."

Axton felt a powerful wave of energy pushing him into the wall in front of him. He brought his arms up to brace himself but still felt the full brunt of the impact.

"AGH! You sly cunt, alright you wanna fight? Here, stand in front of this!"

Axton tossed out his turret which immediately locked onto Lilith and began firing. Luckily Lilith's years of being shot at have trained her instincts to avoid the bullets with ease. Not to mention the many hours of training with Roland's Sabre turret made Axton's look like a little toy.

Eventually Axton's turret digistructed back to his side failing miserably to even scratch Lilith. When the smoke finally cleared the room was in complete shambles. The furniture was blown to bits, all the decorations on the walls were scorched, and yet somehow the apartment structure itself was undamaged.

Axton chuckled, "The fuck is this house made of?"

Instantaneously, Lilith reappeared a mere arm's length in front of Axton brandishing a gun, "My turn."

She shot out his shield then charged forward giving him a swift kick to the stomach causing Axton to slump to the ground. Lilith kneeled down and lifted his head, "Sweetie you should know better than to fuck with a Siren."

Then with a snap of her fingers Lilith Phaseblasted Axton smack dab against the wall. Not letting up she grabbed his collar and began showering punches. Her mind was so clouded by anger that Lilith didn't even pause slightly when Axton stopped moving.

Tears were streaming down her face as he wailed on Axton. What made him think that he could beat her? Did he really think that she meant to hurt Maya? How would he know what she was thinking or what was best for either of them? Who the hell was he to tell her that she can't talk to Maya anymore?!

Lilith flew into a rage, her powers flooded every little ounce of logic in her mind. She was so blinded by her powers that she didn't hear the door get knocked down or even feel the person tugging at her trying to pull her off.

Without warning Lilith blacked out for a split second, then an immeasurable pain tore at her body. Lilith felt like her body was on fire, all her muscles contracted sporadically, she could barely breathe, her brain felt like it was melting, and all her worst nightmares plagued her mind. This was the most painful sensation she had ever gone through in her entire life. Everything she felt made her want to die. It seemed like an eternity before she was finally released from her prison.

Lilith landed with a thud on the ground, she was utterly drained of all the energy in her body. It took her awhile to calm her breathing and regain a small bit of her consciousness. Her eyes flitted a few times before she could keep them open long enough to make out the figure crouched over Axton.

It was Maya.

****This one took a while to pump out, school is starting to kick into full swing and it hasn't even really started yet..yikes. Now as usual I'd love to read those reviews, get some more favorites, and follows****

**Random Brain EXPLOSIOOOOOON:**

**1) So as for the Axton pairing, I don't see him as being gay so sorry if you were looking forward to that. He's definitely getting paired with a woman, I'm just in the process of deciding which woman at the moment.**

**2) I am definitely bringing in Krieg soon! So if you're a Krieg fan, look forward to that!**

**3) Gaige I'm planning to bring into the story when we get to "A Train to Catch" and you'll see why.**

**4) Oh and this might be a heartbreaker for some, but Salv isn't getting a girl or a boy. He's just too badass to tie down. I'm sorry xD Although I will have an elaborate chapter on his love for his guns….and by guns I mean actual weapons. A clarification for any of you dirty people out there.**


	29. Chapter 29: You Done Fucked Up

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***

_**Chapter 29**_

_**You Done Fucked Up**_

Maya was on her way back to the Crimson Raiders Headquarters after listening to Axton's ECHO message. She swore that she was going to make him pay for having her clean up the picnic, it took forever. Maya's devious mind began concoctingpranks she could play on him as she was passing through the center of town. Suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks when she heard explosions coming from Lilith's apartment.

She dropped the picnic in her arms and made a dash for the house, narrowly dodging people along the way. When she got to the door Maya slammed her body against it, but was unsuccessful. She reared back and slammed on it with even more force, but still got no give. Maya then took a step back and reared up to kick, suddenly she felt a wave of energy push her back very slightly.

_Shit. Lilith's Phaseblast, what the fuck is going on in there? Is she okay?_

"Lilith! Lilith! Are you in there? Hey!" Maya screamed desperately while pounding on the door. After a few tense seconds of no reply she whipped out her pistol, shot out the door's security system, and unceasingly slammed her body against it.

"Jeez woman! Did you forget your keys?"

Maya snapped around to see Salvador standing behind her, looking on in confusion. From where he was standing Maya looked like a sweaty, rabid dog that was going after a piece of meat.

"Salvi! KNOCK. THIS. FUCKING. DOOR. DOWN. NOW!" Maya's command caught Salvador off guard because her tone was far from calm, he knew something was wrong. Without another word Salvador positioned himself about five meters from the door, gestured for Maya to move aside, and charged. The door fell over with a loud thud, Salvador quickly composed himself and got up, Maya was fast on his heels.

The scene that greeted them took both Vault Hunters by surprise, Lilith was pummeling Axton. In an act of pure instinct Salvador rushed at Lilith and grabbed onto her, trying to yank her off his friend. However her Siren powers were stronger than anything he could have anticipated and no matter what he did, Lilith didn't budge.

Meanwhile Maya just stood there, petrified.

_What…..do I do? Salvi couldn't do anything. What could I do? Axton, please...get up. Lilith….I'm begging you, please stop. Lilith, why are you doing this? I don't want to hurt you. Please stop hurting Axton. No….no….._

Salvador was huffing and puffing on the ground because all his efforts to pry Lilith off were in vain. It drove him mad. He looked up at Lilith, then turned only to see Maya frozen where she stood, all the rage in his heart roared out in frustration, "DAMMIT MAYA! DO SOMETHING!"

Salvador's call to her broke Maya out of her pool of self-pity, with all the will left in her body Maya lifted her left arm and shut it tightly. Her face was blank, no emotion could be seen in her empty eyes, but a lone tear crawled its way down to her cheek.

Maya stared intently as Lilith's body floated helplessly in the air, all of Maya's rage and despair poured into her. Maya could see Lilith's muscles twitching, her body burning up, and her mouth gasping for air. As the sight unfolded in front of her, Maya's mind was in turmoil, a part of her wanted to keep going and make Lilith suffer, but the other part was begging her to stop. Maya was entering a Siren bloodlust, something she suffered only once before, for Kyle.

_That's right, you deserve this you bitch. How DARE you hurt Axton. I hope you die an elongated and painful death…_

_NO! Stop! You're hurting her Maya! She's in pain, can't you see? Please, STOP!_

_Agh, it doesn't fucking matter! She can choke you to death, beat you, harass you, or what the fuck ever, but NO ONE fucks with FAMILY!_

_Dammit Maya! Calm yourself, you're going to kill her at this rate! Come on...breath. Please. Maya…. Don't you remember? You. Love. Her._

Maya screamed out in agony as she let go of her Phaselock, she fell into a fetal position. Tears were now streaming down her face, partly because she was worried for Axton but another part was because she just put Lilith through a pain that no one should ever experience.

Although Maya's Phaselock was usually painless, that was because her mindset was calmer. Based on past experience Maya knew that the angrier she was, the more pain the person being put under Phaselock would feel. The rage that Maya felt just now would have been enough to melt a mere bandit's brain into soup. Even though Maya knew Lilith was more or less unharmed, it still hurt her to the core that she put Lilith through it at all.

Salvador limped slowly to Maya and held her tightly, "Hey hey, it's okay. Go see if Axton is alright, I'll check up on psycho bitch over there."

Maya wiped her eyes, nodded meekly and crawled over to Axton. As she got closer Maya's eyes blurred once more as a fresh wave of tears flooded her eyes. Axton was completely bloodied, his face was cut up, his body was beaten, and his beautiful eyes were swollen shut. Maya pulled out a clean cloth and began wiping away the blood from his face, making sure to be as gentle as possible.

"Zer0's coming to get Axton. Lord knows I'm not sending him to Zed," Salvador said, tapping Maya's shoulder.

"Anything is fine. We just need to get him rested."

"Understood," Salvador turned to give her some privacy but his mood went sour when he saw Lilith, "so what about this bitch?"

"Leave her."

"Really? Leave her? That's it? After what she's done to Axton?"

"Salvador. I'm not asking you. Leave her."

Salvador glared at Lilith's hunched body, he noticed her eyes open and bitterly stepped toward her. He kneeled down and whispered menacingly, "You are fucking lucky that Maya vouched for your ass or I would have been personally sending you to hell myself."

On that note Salvador got up and stepped outside to wait for Zer0.

Maya didn't hear his comment because all her attention was focused on caring for Axton. However as she inspected his wounds, a pestering question crept into her mind. What made Lilith snap like that?

_What happened between you two? I know Lilith almost strangled me for breaking her picture with Roland, but even she stopped when I was about to pass out. What did you say to her Axton? What did she say to you? Dammit, am I supposed to be mad or sympathetic? Fuck my life._

"I'll take it from here Maya," Zer0's voice stopped Maya's train of thought and she looked up. He was kneeled down next to her, motioning at Axton. Maya moved aside and let him go to work. Zer0 picked up Axton, then headed out the door.

Salvador followed suit, but then turned around and called out, "You coming?"

Maya sighed, "No. Please put the door back up on your way out. I have some business to take care of."

Salvador nodded and lifted the door back to its original position. As he left Salvador sighed deeply, "Life sure is a kick in the head."

Zer0 chuckled, "Indeed it is."

****Recap: Axton got beat up by a girl, that girl got beat up by another girl, now we can only assume that more ass-kicking is in order. As per usual, please shoot me some reviews, click on them favorite and follow buttons, and have a kick ass day****

**Random Brain EXPLOSIOOOOOON:**

**1) Maya's skill tree has some very interesting powers and I'm merely attempting to explain why sometimes she heals you, while others she melts your face off!**

**2) All the powers from every character will improve with time as it does in the game, I will throw in tiny tidbits of how they improved and what exactly was the improvement. Considering that I've only really played Maya, I rely on my friends to tell me about the other three haha**

**3) As for news on Axton's pairing, I have made my decision! Not tell you yet! But y'alls shall see….PS It's exactly what you're expecting xD**


	30. Chapter 30: Don't Go

**Disclaimer, I own nothing. The characters presented by my story belong to Gearbox and 2K. The characters are fictional, any events that occur are purely coincidental. (IE If one day a Siren walks up to you, Phaselocks you, and shoots you, please don't sue me)**

**Also, this story is based on Maya. She is my favorite character and I will be writing this story in relation to how I believe she is thinking. In the interest of not plagiarizing the entire game, I will find ways to skip unimportant dialogues and go straight to my own work.**

_***Italicized texts are Maya's thoughts***_

_**Chapter 30**_

_**Don't Go**_

When Maya was sure that Salvador and Zer0 were gone she sighed and leaned her body onto the wall. There were so many questions running through her head, but every time she opened her mouth to say something she swallowed it right back up. Lilith was conscious but stayed hunched on the ground, avoiding any eye contact with Maya. The two just stayed there silently as each pondered over what they could possibly say.

Finally Maya found her voice and croaked, "Sorry."

Lilith's eyes found Maya's, why was she saying sorry, it was Lilith that should have said sorry. She was the one that choked out Maya, that viciously attacked Axton, that refused to let go of Maya, that hurt her, everything was Lilith's fault, why was Maya saying sorry?

"Why?"

"Because I hurt you."

Lilith scoffed, "I attack your friend and you apologize?"

Maya tilted her eyes to meet Lilith's, the usual twinkle was gone and this tore into Lilith's heart, "Why'd you do it?"

Lilith hesitated for a moment, deciding whether or not she was going to tell the truth. Maya just sighed and shook her head, "Don't you even try to lie to me, I'm a woman. I know when we lie."

"Hah, I should have known better than to try and fool the master," Lilith joked trying to lighten the mood.

"Maybe I should just go," Maya replied bitterly, she got up and started to head for the door but then felt a hand grab her ankle.

"Don't go," Lilith's voice was soft but her desperation cut through the air. "Please."

Maya clenched her fists and looked down at Lilith, "Then tell me the truth, what happened? Why did it happen? Dammit Lilith you're the first girl that I've ever been able to be close with but you're making it so hard for me to be around you."

Lilith didn't know what to say, she didn't want to admit anything but knew that her lying would just upset Maya. It was a lose-lose situation no matter how Lilith decided to play it. Nothing was going to work because Lilith honestly didn't have an answer. She had no logical explanation for anything that she did.

The rage she felt when Axton threatened to take Maya away from her was more than anything she had felt before. It was more than when Roland wanted to break up, more than when she had to leave Sanctuary to get some peace from the agony in her heart, and especially more than when she was hunted down like a dog by her own home planet for being a Siren.

Lilith had lost many friends and family, even her identity, but there was something about even the thought of losing Maya that drove her over the edge. The thought of not being able to feel Maya skin against hers or even enjoy another kiss upon her lips all hurt Lilith. How would she say this to Maya and be able to explain anything? They had only met for maybe six hours and yet Lilith felt as though even six seconds apart would kill her. She had only felt this once before, for Roland, but that ended in such a terrible disaster that Lilith dared not imagine being that happy again. Lilith could not be in love, because it meant longing for each other, caring too much, and most importantly being vulnerable to getting hurt.

A tear gently slid down Lilith's cheek.

Maya felt chills run through her body, Lilith was gorgeous. She had to use every ounce of her strength to not fall into Lilith's arms.

_How do you have such control over me? Fuck, you even cry pretty. Please don't cry. That's the last thing I want to do. Dammit Lilith, I want to so badly to hate you but the more time I spend with you, the more it confirms how I feel about you. Lilith I love you, but I can't. Please give me a reason to leave, give me a reason to hate you, give me anything to not want to be around you. Lilith…. Please just hate me._

"I don't know," Lilith replied meekly, "I guess we aren't meant to be friends."

These words gouged a hole in Maya's heart, but she couldn't help but agree. The two of them will never be friends. It just wasn't meant to be.

"I see, we're both just wasting our time then."

Maya tried walk off, but Lilith tightened her grip. Maya wasn't expecting this so she lost her balance and fell forward. She brought up her arms to brace herself for the impact, but even so Maya landed with a loud thud.

"Ow! Crap!"

Now Lilith finally let go, she didn't want Maya to leave but this wasn't how she imagined her staying either. Lilith quickly started scrambling over to her.

"Maya! Are you okay?"

"What the FUCK do you want me from me?!" Maya screamed as she rolled on the floor in pain. "My life was almost NORMAL without you fucking it up! Why can't you just leave me alone?! I HATE YOU!"

Lilith was reaching to help Maya up, but stopped immediately. All her fears were confirmed. Maya wanted to be left alone.

Before when Axton said to stay away from Maya it drove Lilith mad, but this was different. The madness that came from hearing the same words come from Maya was beyond painful. The anger she felt not was not directed toward Axton or Maya or anyone else, but herself. Lilith scoured her head for a way to keep Maya, 'Dammit tell her you were being stupid. Tell her you didn't mean to say that. Tell her that you really care for her. Lilith don't just let her leave you! You fucker you know you NEED her! Lilith, say something!'

"I see. Please show yourself out then."

This wasn't what Lilith wanted to say, but it was too late. Lilith brought her hands down to her knees and hunched over, any self-control she had earlier was gone. She wept. Lilith cried silently at first, but as the seconds went by her tears were accompanied by sorrowful moans. Nothing she ever did was good enough or right by any normal standard. Lilith was a fuck-up, that's why her parents left her, that's why her siblings hated her, and that's why she was incapable of maintaining a relationship with anybody.

As she cried, she got angrier. Lilith always did her best to hide her vulnerability from anyone, even with Roland she never cried in front of him. She didn't want to show anyone that she even had feelings, but why was she crying now? All the emotions over the years poured out as she curled up into a ball and just kept crying.

Lilith started mumbling quietly to herself, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I didn't know that would happen. Please don't get mad. I love you. Please don't send me away. Mom, dad, Izak, Christie, I'm sorry. Please don't leave me. I know I'm not worth your time, but I'll change I promise. I'll….stop being a Siren."

Her mind was practically delirious now, the Eridium had taken its effect on Lilith over the years. Whenever her emotions were too strong it would trigger an uncontrollable blood lust. She always tried to suppress it over the years but all the memories of her childhood were now rushing back in as the energy began to build from her core. Just as she was about to blow she felt a body wrap around her.

Without thinking Lilith reached around and held it closely. The Eridium began to subside, but Lilith kept on crying. Lilith didn't know how long she cried before she fell asleep. All she knew was that she never let go of the warm body in front of her.

****Hey! Thanks for y'alls continuing to support this series! Please hit me up a review, favorite and follow! You taking your time out to do this makes me feel more motivated to keep 'em coming faster, so thank you all that did that****

**Random Brain EXPLOSIOOOOON:**

**1. So as anyone who follows my story can see, I haven't posted in a while. School just kicked back into full swing and I'm extremely busy this semester. I will most definitely continue writing, I just can't promise daily uploads anymore. I will try though! Thanks for being patient with me.**

**2. In an effort to speed up my story progression without boring you all, I will try to skip as much about the story as I can and just do head canons of what I believe happens in between everything.**

**3. Again, school is back up so if you're a reader that is in school. Good luck! If you're a reader that is already working, keep up the good work ;D**


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